Oshi-e

Today I want to talk a little about an old, but not very well known Japanese craft called oshi-e. I have mentioned it in earlier postings because I have adapted the technique to make fabric jewelry pieces, but I thought it would be nice to talk about and show you some examples of traditional oshi-e.

Back in 1992 I managed to get a position as an English teaching assistant in a public high school in Japan. I knew one of the things I wanted to do during my year in Japan was study a traditional craft. Actually I most wanted to learn how to do washi-ningyo. (You can see some beautiful examples done by American artist Dan Fletcher here.) But after asking around in the small town I was in I could not find a teacher, instead I was introduced to a lovely woman named Michi who practised the craft of oshi-e and offered to teach me.
I should mention that I already spoke fairly good Japanese going in, which helped a lot with the lessons. Oshi-e could be translated to 'pressed pictures'. There is no sewing involved. I guess the pressing part is holding the pieces down while the glue dries. The subjects are traditional motifs such as fairy tales, kimono-clad children, Chinese zodiac, Ukiyo-e, Noh, Kabuki, nature, etc. They are usually mounted on a board called a shikishi, or as below, made into a hagoita, an ornamental paddle based on those used in a badminton like game played at New Year's.

The process involves transferring an image to cardboard, then cutting it into pieces. Each piece is covered with some batting, then fabric is placed over and secured in the back with glue. (Oshi-e can also be done with washi paper in place of the fabric.) Then the pieces are reassembled to form the picture and glued down to the background. Apparently, in the past kimono silk scraps were used, but today most hobbyists in Japan use synthetic brocades and chirimen, resulting in a more vibrant color palette, I suppose, but I like the idea of recycling old kimono silk too.