The Ainu are the indigenous peoples of Japan. Historically Ainu women protected their loved ones with created motifs using natural materials such as wood bark and, sometimes, fish skin. The beautiful designs of these works will be explored as well as Ainu culture and the Ainu community of today.
A presentation on intricately designed and vibrantly colored Okinawan textiles. For much of its history Okinawa, Japan was known as the Ryûkyû Islands. These islands had an independent political and artistic culture from Japan. This included fine textiles of a unique nature. The most famous of these was Bingata, a textile decorated through a labor-intensive stenciling process. We will explore the textiles of these islands as well as their culture and history.