Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten collaborates with Ainu craft artists for the first time and releases 16 types of interior collection on September 4th.

Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Co., Ltd.
Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten collaborates with Ainu craft artists for the first time and releases 16 types of interior collection on September 4th.
Add Ainu embroidery to the interior of modern life
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Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Co., Ltd. (located in Nara City, Nara Prefecture; CEO: Aya Sengoku, 14th generation), a long-established store in Nara founded in 1716, has created tapestries and tapestries incorporating Ainu embroidery as new products in its “Kurashino Kogeifu” series. 16 types of interior collection such as decorative cloths will be on sale from Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Shibuya store, Nara main store, and online shop.
[Image 1: We have created an interior fabric that creates scenery in your daily life, just like decorating your home with art. “Lifestyle Crafts”, launched by Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten in November 2023, is an interior collection that takes a look at ancient craft techniques and reinterprets them for today’s lifestyles. In the new series “Ainu Embroidery,” which follows the first series “Sashiko/Sakiori,” we collaborated with eight Ainu craft artists living in Akan-cho, Kushiro City, Hokkaido to create fabrics that create scenes of daily life. The Ainu people, an indigenous people in the northern region of Japan, have cultivated a unique craft culture while living in harmony with nature, and their techniques have been passed down to this day in many crafts such as embroidery and wood carving. The “Lifestyle Crafts – Ainu Embroidery” series expresses the crafts handed down by the Ainu people as interior decoration that blends into modern life.
[Image 2: design
In addition to the traditional pattern “Aiuㇱ”, nine new patterns have been created by Ainu craft artists. Each pattern embodies the artist’s personality and wishes. The embroidery of white thread layered on white fabric is a rare design among Ainu crafts, and expresses the rich nature of Lake Akan, such as snow, sky, and trees.
[Image 3: manufacturing
The embroidery method incorporates the traditional Ainu techniques of hand embroidery, “Ikarari” and “Ohokao”, and the large size of 2 meters, which is difficult to do by hand, is created using machine embroidery. Please enjoy the difference between the beauty of delicate hand embroidery and large machine embroidery that adds presence to your interior.
“Tapestry” and “decoration cloth” become the centerpiece of the space.
[Image 4: Fabrics that highlight the individuality of each artist are perfect for tapestries and decorative fabrics that serve as the centerpiece of a space. Cloths inspired by the dignified atmosphere of Lake Akan and the snowy landscape bring a new view to your usual room.
Artist name: Kumiko Hira, Erika Katsuoya, Yasuko Kawada, Kayo Watanabe, Eiko Yamamoto, Midori Toko, Emi Shimokura
Size: Minimum 50 x 70cm ~ Maximum 63 x 94cm
Decorative mats that add accents to shelves
[Image 5: Decorative rugs add a subtle accent to shelves, enhancing accessories and interior decoration. One of its great appeals is that by changing the direction in which it is placed, the pattern looks different. Artist name: Emi Shimokura
Size: Minimum 20 x 28cm ~ Maximum 28 x 40cm
“Diverse fabrics” and “drapes” that decorate the dining table and bedside
[Image 6: A versatile piece that can be used as a tablecloth, room divider, bed cover, etc. While carefully picking out the details of the hand-drawn patterns, the soft lines and three-dimensional embroidery express the fluctuations of nature. The embroidery was done at a domestic embroidery factory, and the pattern was beautifully arranged across the large size cloth.
Artist name: Emi Shimokura
Size: Minimum 105 x 105cm ~ Maximum 130 x 200cm
Collaboration with Ainu craft artists starting in 2021
[Image 7: Comment from Ainu craft artist Emi Shimokura
“This time, I also incorporated machine embroidery, and for the first time I tried to work on large pieces of fabric that cannot be expressed with hand embroidery alone.I thought it would expand the number of people who can experience Ainu patterns a little bit.From there, I decided to incorporate machine embroidery into hand embroidery as well. I think it would be a great opportunity for people to learn more about it if Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten could tell us about it.”
Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Lifestyle Crafts Designer Megumi Kawada Comments “In developing Ainu embroidery as a theme, I looked back through history from ancient times to the present and learned a variety of things.From my first visit to Akan three years ago until now, I feel like I have been on a long journey through history. I would be happy if you could imagine the decorations, the view, and the world and feel your heart move.”
Lifestyle craft fabric Ainu embroidery sales information
Sales start: Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Available stores: Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Online Shop, Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Shibuya Store, Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Nara Main Store
Featured site: https://nakagawa-masashichi.jp/kogeifu