Object Details
Catalogue Status
Research in Progress
Description
This pattern is made up of turtles floating in different directions. Some turtles are in pairs while others are alone. Thier unique shells are depict different cutting techniques and patterns; geometeric checkard boards, cross hatching and organic fluid patterns. The boarder of the stencil appears to be jagged and uneven. The black tortoise, genbu, represents the north, the winter season, and longevity. It is also one of the guardian spirits that protects Kyoto, being it’s one of the prominent cities of the North.
Credit Line
Gift of Helen Snyder
Date
late 19th–early 20th century
Accession Number
1976-103-159
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
textile designs
Object Name
katagami
Type
katagami
Medium
Mulberry paper (kozo washi) treated with fermented persimmon tannin (kakishibu),
Dimensions
H x W: 31.7 × 41.7 cm (12 1/2 × 16 7/16 in.)
Mat: 35.6 × 45.7 cm (14 × 18 in.)
made in
Japan
See more items in
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
chndm_1976-103-159