Following her apprenticeship with one of the master weavers of Saganishiki, Kiriyo Kuchina began to transform Saganishiki into a richer and more unique form of weaving that is now called Kiriyo Ori. Kiriyo Ori uses silver, gold, platinum and lacquer threads for the weft, which are interwoven between lengthwise strips of Japanese paper coated with silver, gold, platinum and various colors of lacquer. Each piece of warp material is designed by Ms. Kuchina. All warp and weft materials are meticulously handcrafted by artisans. Sadly, the horizontal weft threads are becoming increasingly rare as the aging artisans have struggled unsuccessfully to groom apprentices to whom they could entrust their traditional craft.
The designs and colors used in Kiriyo Ori are an inspired leap from Saganishiki as well. Looking at her works, one will find inspirations from a variety of artistic sources such as Art Deco, Islamic motifs, Japanese rock gardens, medieval European motifs and so on.
Kiriyo Ori has been featured in several publications and has been described as a jewel-like woven textile for its exquisiteness and ornateness. Ms. Kuchina uses a small handmade table-top loom to weave her ceremonial fabric. Kiriyo Ori weaving requires extreme concentration and is so technically refined that a full day of weaving sometimes produces only a few centimeters of the fabric.
Since it is becoming extremely difficult to secure the materials used in Kiriyo Ori, and as a result of the weaving process being so labor and time intensive, Ms. Kuchina has also found no successor to carry on her art form. For this reason, this jewel-like textile is expected to appreciate in value in the future. Because of her attachment to her works and the limited amount of weaving she can produce, Ms. Kuchina has not been offering her artworks in recent years. However, she has decided to offer some of her museum-quality works exclusively to royal family members and officials around the world in hopes that her works will be well appreciated and preserved in their hands.
Please click the following link (www.flickr.com/photos/23614807@N04) and enjoy looking at photographs of these art pieces. Each one of them is one of a kind and truly unique.
www.flickr.com/photos/23614807@N04
