Preview
Description
Wooden marudai threaded and weaving started. This marudai is comprised of unfinished wood and has the start to a weaving. There is a large wooden dowel weight in the center and 28 spools of thread in varying shades of yellow, green, red, orange, and white. There is a newspaper article clipping taped to the base.
"A stool like wooden device used for plaiting a number of colored cords to make a multicolored "kumihimo." The technique of making the "kumihimo" with marudai was used in day to day living of the Japanese people as early as the 8th century and later used for knitting armor, decorating furniture and various articles used for religious purposes. While there are hundreds of ways of plaiting cords, the kumihimo is today used mainly for holding the obi cloth up and called obi-jime."
The marudai is a round-top braiding stand used to make a wide variety of kumihimo braids (round, square, rectangular, flat, triangular, and other polygonal shapes). Although no exact invention date is known, the marudai is believed to be a product of the early Edo period (1603-1868). A Japanese style marudai is 40-50 cm tall and is designed to be used in a kneeling position or placed on a table top. It is the fastest and most traditional way of creating braids.
Keywords
Plait, Thread, Wooden, Kumihimo
Original Medium
Wood and Textile
Size
28 cm L x 28 cm W x 42 cm H
Origin
Japan
Date Information
Undated
Artifact Number
M87-090
Original Collection
Mike Mansfield Collections, Mss 65, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Librar, Unviersity of Montana
Holding Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections
Digital Publisher
University of Montana-- Missoula. Mansfield Library
Image Credit
Image Credit: Micaela Connolly, University of Montana
Contact Us
For additional information about the collection or to suggest a keyword or share what you know about this item email library.archives@umontana.edu. Please include the artifact number in your note to us.
Rights
Keywords
Plait, Thread, Wooden, Kumihimo