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Showing posts from January, 2012

Kumihimo Braiding: Your Complete Guide to the Ancient Japanese Art of Cord Making

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Have you ever wondered how those gorgeous, intricate cords are made? The ones you see decorating traditional Japanese clothing or adorning modern jewelry? Well, you're about to discover the fascinating world of kumihimo braiding – an ancient Japanese technique that's surprisingly accessible to modern crafters. Kumihimo braiding has been around for over 1,000 years, and it's honestly one of the most relaxing and rewarding crafts you can pick up. Whether you're looking for a new hobby, want to create stunning jewelry, or simply appreciate traditional crafts, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about this beautiful art form. What Exactly is Kumihimo Braiding? Let's start with the basics. Kumihimo (pronounced "koo-mee-hee-mo") literally translates to "gathered threads" in Japanese. It's a traditional braiding technique that creates strong, decorative cords using multiple strands of threa...

Kumihimo

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Kumihimo is a Japanese braid-making technique which dates to about 550 C.E., when the Buddhist religion spread in Japan and people began to use decorative cords in religious ceremonies. Later, people used brightly colored braids to decorate clothing, to hang banners, to lace samurai armor together (esp. in late SCA period, 1400-1600), and to hang knives. Although kumihimo is particular to Japan, other cultures in history have used similar braids or braid ‘stools’, including the sling braiders of the Andes and hair-braiding stools from Scandinavia. Research is ongoing into the origins of kumihimo and similar braids. There are some similarities between kumihimo and the fingerloop braiding practiced in western Europe during mid- to late-SCA-period. Except for those who aspire to putting together a set of period Samurai armor, most people who make kumihimo in the SCA use it for decorative purposes. Oddly, it is not usually used in Japanese garb in the SCA, possibly because we don’t hav...

Japanese Braiding the Art of Kumihimo

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History: The Japanese concept of combining function and beauty becomes obvious when you consider the Art of Kumihimo. These beautiful braids were used to lace the many small plates of Samurai armor, to attach swords to their sashes and even to wrap the handles of their swords. Braids were also used in temples, shrines and tombs as edging for Buddhist flags and as attachments and ties for scrolls. In late period we see braiding used to tie the obi to prevent slippage. The earliest evidence of braiding in Japan was in the Jomon period (400 BCE-300 CE). The word Jomon means “rope pattern” and describes the pottery dating to that era. The cords, made from plant fiber, were rolled or pressed into the wet clay to leave decorative impressions. In later periods, pottery figures and paintings showed men and women dressed in clothing adorned with braided cords used as belts, ties and hair adornments. Actual fragments of braids have been found as early as the Nara period (645 CE-784 CE). The H...