Ishiuchi Miyako - From Cocoons

Renowned photographer Ishiuchi Miyako documents the history and omnipresence of silk in Japanese culture, giving special attention to the inexpensive meisen-kimono, which, with its plain weave of waste silk, transcended the industry’s traditional aesthetic sense. The book shows how the traditions and formalities of silk are deeply rooted in an entire generation of women, for whom it is inseparably tied to the modernisation of Japan. With stunning detail and colour, ‘From Cocoons’ breathes life into the process of silk production and textile fabrication, and richly illustrates the myriad patterns of the kimonos, collected in this case at the Kiryu Private Textile School.