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Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.655

f:id:yumejitsugen1:20101106002437j:plain

Dear Ichiroya newsletter readers,

Hello this is Mei from Ichiroya. Did you enjoy the introduction of our staff in my last newsletter? I love working with my co-workers, everyone is so kind, powerful and charming! First of all, I want to explain about "The Seven Gods of Good Fortune", today's head picture. They are Ebisu(God of Development), Daikokuten(God of Wealth), Bishamonten(God of Success), Benzaiten(God of Beauty), Fukurokuju(God of Happiness), Jurojin(God of Health), and Hotei(God of Cleverness). They are believed to bring good luck on a ship with treasures.

Every morning, we have a meeting and introduction something we are interested in. "The Seven Gods of Good Fortune" always confused me who is who, that's why I looked up their name, items and so on. hehe Yeah, I love drawing! When I studied about Kimono and classical designs, I always learned by drawing. (Also I love art museum and exhibition. When I go abroad, I always visit the art museum and exhibition. Recently I went to the Paul Smith's exhibition in Kyoto, Japan. That was amazing!) When I was a university student, I gathered up some waste woods and canvas and daub or draw something after classes with my friends. I love that feeling, daub and mix the paints by hands like kids without thinking.

From last newsletter, we are showing how to distinguish kimono textiles.

Well,today's topic is about WOOL and CELLULOSE.

The following video is about burning wool.

 https://youtu.be/dpQ76k-R4GI

Wool is warm and soft touch, and material of some vintage Kimonos. As you can notice, it burns as same as silk. However, it burns having a nasty smell. Silk also have a little smell. However, it doesn't smell that much. On the other side, when wool is burnt, it is stinky. Yack! Maybe anyone who have never smelled it could have an idea how it is awful through my writing(, I hope so). In short, if you can smell almost nothing, it is silk. If you felt yack!, it must be wool. (Please do not smell many times. You feel yack! many times. haha)

By the way, threads of wool is made from mixing of short fibers. There is one way to distinguish wool. When you press it against your cheek and it prickles you, it is wool. Yes, it is easy to distinguish. Cotton is a representative of threads which were made by mixed short and not straight fibers. Tsumugi silk is in similar form. For example, you can notice the similarity among wool, cotton, and tsumugi silk threads. The ends of fibers appear on the surface when you see through a microscope. However, wool is the only one among them which prickles.

Well, next is about cellulose, fibers of vegetables are all made from it. Of course, cotton and asa(ramie) are cellulose. Jinken(rayon), also a popular material of vintage Kimonos and lining is cellulose in fact. It is made from pulp, and pulp is made from wood(plant fiber). Yes, "jinken is paper". Some people said "jinken is paper. So it tears easily by stretching it after putting your spit." and showed it. Certainly when jinken gets wet, its strength becomes 1/3. Also, fibers of old jinken are weak and tend to have small holes and become whitish by fraying.

Cotton, asa, jinken all made from cellulose. That's why they burn in similar way. They burn just like when you burn paper. The noticeable points are here.
*The fire spreads.
*The remaining ashes can be crashed. 

https://youtu.be/B4sX16gnyyA

Then, how can we distinguish these materials? The answer is... sorry, next time! Because it is time to pass the baton to the next writer. Oh I will miss you all till next time :( hehe Thank you for reading, it was by Mei. Bye-bye :)