To commemorate the 120th anniversary of Tatsumura Bijutsu Orimono, a long-established Kyoto textile manufacturer, the exhibition "Heizo Tatsumura: Weaving Time" is running at Nihonbashi Takashimaya through May 6th. This exhibition features approximately 300 pieces, including representative works such as obi, uchikake, and jinbaori from various eras. This exhibition also includes a selection of textiles that are usually not available to the public. The exhibition showcases the company's extensive archive of obi, including explanations of weaving techniques and works developed in the late Taisho period when the Imperial Household Museum commissioned the research and restoration of the Shosoin treasures. The exhibition also showcases diverse patterns incorporating the Silk Road, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Nanban, as well as obi patterns incorporating motifs that at first glance seem incompatible with traditional Japanese clothing, such as lacquerware and cut glass. Also on display is an archive of the "Shaeicho" (copying album), a catalog of the "Jobonkai" (Jobon Association), which Tatsumura Heizo, the founder of the company, has been exhibiting as a member since its founding in 1936. While a major retrospective showcasing the work of the founder has been held before, this is the first time that a comprehensive exhibition showcasing masterpieces from the current generation up to the fourth generation has been attempted. Following the Nihonbashi exhibition, a second exhibition is scheduled to open at Yokohama Takashimaya on the 24th of next month.

Tatsumura Heizo, founder of Tatsumura Art Textiles, viewed textiles, consisting of warp and weft threads, as three-dimensional forms filled with unique shadows, creating a succession of new techniques and obtaining numerous patents. Since then, up to the fourth generation, the company has worked on the restoration of ancient textiles preserved in Shosoin and Horyuji Temple, as well as decorations for floats at festivals around the country, such as the Gion Festival.


[Event Information]
Celebrating the 120th Anniversary of the Company's Founding: Tatsumura Heizo Weaves "Time."
Location: Nihonbashi Takashimaya 8th floor hall
Address: 2-6 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Dates: Until May 6th, 2013
Time: 10:00 to 20:00 (Last day until 18:00, last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Admission fee: 800 yen for adults, 600 yen for university and high school students, free for junior high school students and younger