Craft · No. 19
No. 19織物
Ushikubi Tsumugi
牛首紬
ushikubi tsumugi · 石川県
Ushikubi Tsumugi is a silk pongee fabric produced in the Shiramone district of Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Renowned for its exceptional durability — said to be strong enough to pull out a nail — it is crafted using a distinctive technique that unwinds thread from double cocoons (tama-mayu).
- Origin
- 石川県
- Category
- 織物
- Materials
- Silk
- Designation
- Nat'l Traditional Craft
No. IHistory
Ushikubi Tsumugi is said to have its roots as far back as the late Heian period, when sericulture and weaving flourished in the Shiramone area — forme…
No. IIMaterials
The defining material of Ushikubi Tsumugi is the "tama-mayu" (double cocoon), formed when two silkworms spin a single cocoon together. Unlike ordinary…
No. IIITechniques
The production of Ushikubi Tsumugi begins with hand-reeling silk thread from tama-mayu double cocoons, a painstaking process that preserves the yarn's…
No. IVClimate
The Shiramone district lies in a mountainous valley at the foot of Mount Hakusan, a region known for heavy snowfall and long, harsh winters. This geog…
