Shimi Jimi

Published by Nuno Corporation

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This fourth volume in the series of Nuno publications deals with the use of dyes and mordants as well as the emotional associations that can be evoked by fabrics.

Review

The literal translation of the Japanese term 'shimi jimi' is 'dyed' or 'steeped in mordant', but it is also used in a figurative sense to describe the way feelings may leak out, analogous
to a plain fabric that takes on the dyes of a dyebath. The expression 'shimi jimi' therefore cannot be applied to any particular type of fabric, but rather to a particular kind of emotional association. The fabrics thus described have the ability to evoke feelings of nostalgia, either through their appearance, their handle or the way they drape.
This book is the fourth in a thematic book series by the Nuno Corporation, and its predecessors have similarly exotic sounding titles.
Happy to experiment, this company adapted the fabrics introduced here from local traditions. The 'bashofu' fabric series, for example, is related to the texture of the banana fibre structures of Okinawa, which are produced from coated banana fibre yarn on industrial looms. The 'sashiko' series is reminiscent of the hand-embroidered, white designs on the indigo fabrics of Japanese peasants, the difference being that these fabrics are woven as jacquard double weaves. Further fabric series are based on kasuri and warp printing, on colour shading and striped designs.

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