Japanese Ramie Linen Noren – Golden Crane and Turtle by Manyōsha

Konjiki Noren — Crane and Turtle

“The crane lives for a thousand years; the turtle for ten thousand.”

The crane and turtle are indispensable symbols of celebration and good fortune in Japan. This design evokes the lustrous gold of maki-e lacquer decoration against a deep black background reminiscent of Japanese lacquerware.

Traditional Kyoto Dyeing

Manyōsha noren are dyed by Kyoto artisans using traditional techniques passed down through generations. These include hand-painting, graduated dyeing, shibori resist dyeing, indigo dyeing and persimmon-tannin dyeing.

Hand-Spun, Handwoven Hemp Cloth

Among Uno’s most remarkable materials are hemp textiles woven by hand from hand-spun yarn. Some incorporate irregular slub yarns across the weft, while others are woven in subtle chequered structures. Differences in yarn thickness and weaving technique produce fabrics with entirely different surfaces, weights and expressions.