In the thirteenth century, Chinese Chan priests and Japanese studying in Hangzhou brought kesa (kasaya) to Japan, some of which have been preserved till today as temple treasures. Many of the Southern Song textiles were made of open weaves, one common structure being patterned three-end gauze weave (Ch. 紋羅, Jp. 顕紋紗, kemonsha) adjacent crossed warps formed the ground and where adjacent crossed warps formed the ground and a three-harnees twill created the pattern. The peonyscroll patterned blue and white kesa associated with the Chinese priest Wuan Puning(兀庵普寧, 1197-1276) belonging to Shōdenji(正伝寺), Kyoto is a beautiful example. For convenience’s sake, in this presentation I label this structure ‘kenmonsha A’ Several Chinese and Korean books discuss this weave structure.
A green and purple kesa dating from the fourteenth century made from textiles with a similar peony design rendered likewise in three-end gauze weave with twill patterning, now in the imperial convent Donkein曇華院, is documented as having been given by Shun’oku Myōha 春屋妙葩 (1312-1388) to the founding nun, Chisen Shintsū 知泉聖通 (1309-1388). Investigation of the weave structure of this green and purple kesa, discloses a variance in the way the warps cross and uncross, reflected also in different grouping of the weft threads. I will label this “kenmonsha B .”
Through careful analysis from multiple approaches, this presentation explores the possibility that the Donkein kesa was produced in Japan. It posits that as weavers from a different region using different looms attempted to reproduce the Southern Song textiles, they ended up inventing a new structure. Although this shift may have occurred in China after the beginning of the Yuan dynasty I have yet to find Chinese published examples. Certain characteristics seen in the Donkein kesa suggest it was produced in Japan. These include textile production details as well as considerations
related to the documentary evidence within the context of the political situation in China and Japan during the mid-fourteenth century.
When Myōha gave the Donkein kesa to Shintsū, he wrote her a letter that is still preserved. Dated 1382, it states that he has kept the kesa hidden for “a long time.” The gift was presumably felicitous, possibly to celebrate the completion of the Buddha hall in (1380). Myōha presented her with an old personal garment kept unused for years: not a passed-down transmission kesa (den-e ). By implication, its production date may have been sometime between 1334 when he took the precepts and, say, 1370.
These years correspond to the Nonbokuchō (1333-1392) period when civil war led to constant shifts in power. Turmoil and disturbances also racked China at this time. Similarly, Korea was seeing the demise of the Goryeo dynasty. With the governments weakened, Japanese trade was in private hands, and wakō pirates roamed the seas. In Japan, the shift of the shogunal government back to Kyoto centered the power again in the Kyoto-Nara area. This provided the Kyoto otoneri weavers traditionally serving the nobility with a wider clientele. Experienced in weaving patterned two
end gauze (sha ) and countered two-end gauze (komeori ) for court and performance costumes, these artisans knew how to use doup heddles in order to shift individual warps so they crossed and uncrossed. It would have been an easy step to copy imported textiles. Indeed, we know that kenmonsha B was eventually woven in Japan from an order for kenmonsha p laced b y A manosha i n N ara a t the Kyoto workshop Otoneri no Uchi Nishizuru in 1449. The shrine still has the textiles matching those ordered. In addition, the shrine has a similar kenmonsha B textile dated to 1378,
suggesting a possible earlier beginning for Japanese production.
While such documentary evidence raises the likelihood that the Donkein kesa could have been made in Japan, it does not rule out the use of imported cloth. Weaving width, design rendition, and dyes must also be considered. The back of the kesa consists of 9 panels of the green fabric, the widest of which is 44.2 cm. The standard weaving width for medieval Japanese court costumes was around 45cm, so this is a natural width to be woven on a standard Japanese loom.
Although the basic design and dimensions of peony scrolls in the Wuan Puning kesa and the Donkein kesa are the same, details in their rendering differ. The Wuan Puning peony design appears more delicate, particularly with, the large blossoms, the wiry curled stems and the iconic Southern Song rendering of the leaves enclosing internal motifs. In contrast, the Donkein kesa peonies have less refined detailing, the stems are less curved, and the leaves are more realistic.
Finally, several years ago when the kesa was conserved, laboratory analysis conducted on a loosened thread verified that the green dye was produced by overdyeing indigo with Japanese Amor cork tree (phellodendron native only to Japan).1 These findings urge a reevaluation of the medieval Japanese textile production of certain luxury fabrics traditionally considered Chinese imports. I look forward to learning from the IASSRT members of related Chinese textiles, including ones made with another three-end gauze weave structure that are not featured among the descriptions of Southern Song textiles, but that have extant examples preserved in Japan dating back at least to the fourteenth century, if not earlier.
1. Yoshiko Sasaki and Ken Sasaki, “Analysis of Protobererines in Historical Textiles: Determining the Provenance of East Asian Textiles by Analysis of Phellodendron” in e-Preservation Science, Morana RTD d.o.o www.Morana-rtd.com. P.88
