Two forms of life behind the cloths of yamamayu.
The cloths of yamamayu begin with two kinds of silkworm:
the domesticated silkworm and Tensan.
Domestic silkworms have lived alongside people for generations.
Tensan grow on trees such as Japanese oak.
The plants they eat, the places where they grow,
and the character of their cocoons and silk are each different.
Two kinds of silkworm
Domestic Silkworm
Domestic silkworms feed on mulberry leaves and grow close to people.
They make white or softly yellow-toned cocoons,
producing smooth and relatively even silk.
Tensan
Tensan feed on the leaves of trees such as Japanese oak and konara oak,
and grow outdoors on the branches.
They make pale yellow-green cocoons,
producing silk with strength and elasticity.
Its color shifts subtly with the light,
with a gentle luminosity that seems to come from within.
The character of the silk
Silk from domesticated silkworms has a smooth luster,
almost like the surface of water,
and takes color with clarity and evenness.
Tensan silk has a quieter glow that seems to rise from within.
When woven, it gives the cloth a distinct presence and resilient body.
Where they grow, and with the seasons
Domestic silkworms grow in a carefully managed environment close to people.
Tensan, by contrast, grow outdoors on trees such as Japanese oak,
and their cycle is generally once a year.
Their cocoons are made among the leaves and branches,
and traces of the environment in which they grow appear naturally
in the cocoons and the silk itself.
How we work with these materials
Silk from domesticated silkworms reaches us in different forms:
as reeled silk yarn from a twisting workshop in Hachioji,
and as hand-spun mawata silk made here in our studio.
Its smoothness, clear luster of color and ease of handling
allow it to form the quiet foundation of many of our cloths.
For Tensan, we work with cocoons raised by a friend in Iwate
as well as those raised at our studio in Yamanashi,
using them as both reeled Tensan silk and hand-spun yarn.
Its natural yellow-green tones,
supple strength and quiet, clear presence
give it a character unlike any other silk.
Depending on the work,
we use both plant-based dyes and synthetic dyes.
When a particular clarity or depth of color is needed,
we may work with synthetic dyes.
When we want to retain softer variations and natural shifts,
we choose colors drawn from plants.
Related reading
View the cloth
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