Description
A hand-dyed Okinawan indigo textile in its original red lacquered frame, made in March 1986 in Tamagusuku Village, Shimajiri District, Okinawa, by the indigo workshop Aizome Namikawa.
The design is a moji-e — a picture built from a character. The whole composition forms the kanji 祝 (iwai, celebration), assembled from white resist shapes on a deep indigo ground with brushed pink, yellow, purple, green and red. A small resist-dyed studio mark sits at the lower left.
The printed label on the backing board explains the imagery. It combines the pine, bamboo and plum traditionally associated with celebration with the double cherries of Mt Yaedake at Motobu — where Japan's earliest cherry blossom appears — and two figures supporting the household, a wish for family harmony. The label adds that the indigo used was made by hand by the groom's father.
This was made as a commemorative piece for a family wedding, numbered 249 in its run. That original context is what makes it interesting: not a gallery edition, but a real object from a real Okinawan occasion, dyed with indigo the family made themselves.
A note on terminology: the label calls it simply 文字染絵 (a dyed character picture) from an indigo workshop. Bingata properly refers to the polychrome Okinawan stencil-dyeing tradition; aigata is the indigo-ground variant. Both terms are offered here as the closest description of the technique, not as the maker's own wording.
Provenance: purchased by me in Naha, Okinawa, many years ago, and hung in my home since. I'm selling it so someone else can enjoy it.
Postage: Sent within Australia intact and heavily protected, corner-boxed. For international orders I will remove the glass before dispatch — broken glass inside a frame slides against the textile and destroys it, and a piece like this can't be replaced. The frame, textile and original backing label all travel together; glass is easily replaced at the other end. Brisbane local pickup welcome if you'd rather take it as-is.
Free postage within Australia. International buyers welcome
Customs & Import Duties For international orders, any customs fees, import taxes, or duties are the buyer's responsibility. Orders shipped to the United States have applicable duties and taxes calculated and included at checkout — no additional charges on delivery. This applies to USA orders only. Buyers in all other countries are responsible for any local customs charges. If unsure, we recommend checking with your local customs office before purchasing.
Packaging All fragile items are carefully packed for safe delivery using recycled materials where possible. Comes from a smoke-free home.
Before You Buy Please review all photos carefully as they form part of the item description. Colours may vary slightly due to screen settings — we do our best to represent items accurately but an exact colour match cannot be guaranteed.