THE CLOTHING OF A HEIAN LADY, PATTERNING & CONSTRUCTION OF THE BASICS BY: Jahan Ara amat al-hafeeza al-sayyidaefendi (THL) MONO NO AWARE- BEAUTY IS PRECIOUS BECAUSE IT IS BRIEF. Typically, when someone asks me to make a pattern for them, I pull out my bolt of gridded fabric and either directions, photos or the actual garment to pattern and after taking a few measurements get to work! In the last five years, I have taught the basic construction of Heian Japanese costuming to people both in the SCA and outside of it. Some of this has been hands-on, via phone conference, at a coffee shop, or in classroom environments. Over the course of my teaching this, I have found that the hardest part has been visualization. Thus, much in the way Heian Ladies of Court would have created clothing for dolls, I decided that the easiest way to have examples of these robes, was to create them on the small scale. This was done both to allow them to be easily passed around in a classroom environment, for display, as well as the practicality of having examples of them easily on hand without having to arranged the transportation of the life-sized robes, many of which I do not actually have in my personal possession. Fig. 2. Court Lady, Summer (Costume Museum, http://http://www.iz2.or.jp (2011)
A NOTE ON HEIAN JAPANESE DOLLS (HIINA) Based upon Chinese customs of over three thousand years ago, the celebration of the Girl s Festival became the height of popularity in Japan during the middle of the Heian Era. It was during this time, that the playing of dolls Hiina Asobi became popular among both young girls and women. Hiina refers to both the male and female dolls. When made they were almost always created as a pair. The dolls were dressed in the height of current fashion, often replicating the maker s own wardrobe and displayed until the end of February. It was believe if a young girls doll was displayed past February, that they would make a late marriage, although the dates for this were not strictly formed until much later in Japanese Culture. (Baten, 2006) They held a religious aspect as well. Many believed that if you floated a stray doll down the river it will take all of your troubles with them. Mother s made dolls for their children and grandchildren, putting their hopes and dreams in the making of them. (Murisaki) Fig 3. Heian Hiina Doll The Kyoto Shimazu Sei Shonagon in The Pillow Book defined Hiina as beautiful and charming objects. In The Gossomer Years, Kagero Nikki (Diary), the author goes into great depth describing how Ladies of the Court would design and sew the costumes, draw the faces and style the hair, as well as make doll houses, furniture, screens and so forth for their dolls. Emperor Murakami (926-967), depicted the Hiina dolls in his collection of poetry. He wrote of them in a poem on the Tanabata Star Festival Day, the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Fig 4. The Kyoto Costume Museum s Display of a Section of The Tale of Genji Is done on small scale using dolls fashion as they would have been in the Heian Era. (Photo, Courtesy of Costume Museum, Kyoto, Inc.) He ordered her a beautiful doll s house, and played with her different and amusing games. Tale of Genji, Muraskai Shikibu
The layers that could be in a Juni-Hitoe varied depending on not only the time of year, but on the year its self. Juni-hitoe translates as 12 layers, but the name is misleading. Juni-hitoe refers to the internal layers dressed between the hitoe (chemise) and the ko-uchiki or uwagi (both being outer dress robes). (Harvey, 2001). Before the sumptuary law of 1074 limited the number of these many colored layers to five robes plus the robes of state (uwagi, karaginu & mo), noble women wore as many as 40 uchiki under the outer robes depending on the season and the traditional scheme for the day per kasane no irome. (Harvey, 2001; Dalby, 2001). Because making these robes can be prohibitively expensive as there are so many layers, I generally start people off with either Summer Wear, or Courtesan Costumes. Fig 5. Court Lady In Late Summer ware, unlined robes. (Costume Museum Institute, Kyoto, (2008) These are limited in layers; one to two layers for Summer Wear (unlined) and two - four layers for Courtesan (one hitoe, one unlined, one lined robe). Fig 6. Courtesan, lined robes. (Costume Museum Institute, Kyoto, (2008)
Patterning the Japanese Lady s Noble Court Dress With Japanese, the numbers are somewhat ambiguous and thus patterns are limited in availability. That is not to say that you can not make a pattern. Many do. However, in teaching this, I have found that due to both the varying sizes of people today, as well as the varying width of fabrics used, it has worked better to give the basic construction concepts and let everyone create a pattern for themselves. I can, if needed, custom patterns for those who ask. For a kosode, even in our current modern era (take a look at the modern Kimono) the design is based on the width of the fabric. Historically, in fact, it was based on the width of the looms. During the Heian Era (794-1192) the looms produced fabric in the range of 12 to 14 although they did produce 16 to 18 for specialty fabrics. (Minnich, 1963) It is always good to start at the basics. The purpose of this class is to show you that you can take very basic techniques and create spectacular Japanese Costumes. We will also demonstrate just how very little has changed in these basics over time. Worn by both men and women, the Kosode most often in terms of articles of clothing refers to the main undergarment. It is part of the Hitoe, the term used to refer to the individual bottom layer of the dress as well as the hakama and kosode. (Dalby, 2001) The Kosode is worn tucked into Hakama (pants) and is the closest to the skin. During the Heian era, a Kosode for women would most often be white or madder red. Men s were traditionally white. (Stevens, 1996) The layer that was referred to solely as kosode, and not given any other name, was the Heian woman s undergarment. It was a shorter, small sleeved robe worn against the skin. It came down to just below the knees, with the hakama or nagabakama wrapped over it. It was barely visible under the other layers. 小袖袖襟身頃袵袴 Glossary Kosode small sleeves Sode - sleeves Eri - collar Migoro - body panels Okumi - overlap panels Hakama pants Naga-Bakama long pants Hitoe Chemise layer, over kodosde & Hakama Uchiki lined & unlined Robes
Kosode: Small Sleeves Unlike the rest of the layers (the osode), the sleeves of the kosode are more tube like, and were sometimes sewn upward, curving slightly in order to hold in body warmth (Stevens, 1996, p137). The basic pattern of the kosode and osode was generally identical, although the kosode was shorter, has smaller sleeves, and often noted to be more narrow and closefitting all together. In the Juni-Hitoe (the basic garment worn by a Heian Noble Woman, the osode had a variety of names. The Hitoe is the Heian equivalent of a Chemise. It was often made from silk that still had not yet had the sericin beaten out of it. This raw silk when made into a garment would stand away from the skin allowing the wearer to remain cool. For the ease of instruction, I have chosen to use the basic name of Uchiki for the layered robes. These can be lined or unlined (depends on the season when worn). They can also be quilted (winter), made of plain silk or a jacquard like fabric, and the top-most layer for basic Nobility can be slight more decorative, often stamped with designed ontop of the jacquard. Traditional Heian Japanese Looms ranged from 12 to 14 (Harvey, 2001). There is some evidence that they also had 16 and 18 looms, but Archeologist are still looking into whether clothing was made from these fabrics. The body of your kosode is made of two panels that are 14 wide. This measurement is based on the width of the standard Heian looms. Some adjustment can be made in order to compensate for different sizes. Remember to compensate by adding seam allowance if you are not working with selvages. For instruction and consistency, I use 14 wide fabric.
Kosode: Patterning Take measurement from shoulder seam over front of body to toes. For floor length Kosode add anywhere from 2 to 14 (formal court) In order to have the collar fit properly, you need to open up the back seam to insert the collar. We typically set it about 2 back. The sleeves for the kosode are actually very simple. They are sewn to the body panel ten inches front and back and the rest is left open. Note: hemming was a very rare thing in Early Japanese costume as with the 14 fabric, the selvages were used as the finished edges. Even in modern day kimonos you will fine that many still use selvages for the finished edges. The front of the kosode for outer wear includes a 4 collar and a gore that attaches to the body panel approximately where your collar bone is. Regarding the Gore : This is not actually a cut gore, as in Japan they rarely cut fabric all of these robes had selvages, and so raw cut edges were avoided. They panels were basted together so that when they needed to be clean the entire garment could be taken apart. (Costume Museum, 2009). Having investigate photos of extant textiles from Heian and Kamakura, as well as examined the reproductions at the Kyoto Costume Museum, we have found that the bottom width of the gore should be within 3 inches width of the main panels. This in part is what allows for the fullness that you see in Heian kosode (compared to modern kimonos). The collar usually runs the length of the front to the tips of ones fingers, or to about 2 inches above the end of the sleeves if the sleeves are longer than your arms (they really liked sleeves.)
Bibliography Costume Museum, Inc. (2011). Costume Museum, Kyoto (Japanese version): http://www.iz2.or.jp. Dalby, L. C. (2001). Kimono: Fashoning Culture. Seattle and London, University of Washington Press. FUYUya (2008). HEIAN Kasane no irome: http://www.fuyuya.com/kasane/kasane-index.htm. Goodwin, J. R. (2007). Selling Songs and Smiles: The Sex Trade in Heian Kamakura Japan. Honolulu, HI, University of Hawaii Press. Harvey, S. M. (2001) Juni-hito Styles of Heian Era Japan: http://www.clotheslinejournal.com/heian.html Minnich, H. B. (1963). Japanese Costume and the Makers of Its Elegant Tradition. Tokyo, Charles E. Tuttle Co. Morris, I., Ed. (1991). The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. New York, Columbia University Press. Morris, I. (1994). The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan, Kodansha International. Munsterberg, H. (1996). The Japanese Kimono. New York, Oxford University Press. Noma, S. (1983). Japanese Costume and Textile Arts. New York, New York, John Weatherhill, Inc. Stevens, Rebecca A. T. and Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada(1996). The Kimono Inspiration: Art and Art-to-wear in America. Pomegranate. Japanese Doll Resources Pate, Alan Scot (2008). Iki-ningyo: Living Dolls and the Export Market: Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating Worlf of Ningyo. Tuttle Publishing. Kyoto Shimazu (2012). http://www.kyoto-shimazu.com/en/index.html
Appendix A: Costume Glossary Hakama. Long pleated, very loose trouser worn by men and women Haribakama. Another term for the hakama worn by women. Heian-Kyo. (Tranquility and Peace) Capital city during the Heian city; modern day Kyoto Hirao sashes. Wide, flat braided belts worn by the emperor, his immediate family and a few of his most favored and highest ranked courtiers for very formal ceremonial occasions. Hitoe. Type of underwear, sometimes referred to as the chemise, worn beneath the uchigi and over the kosode and hakama or nagabakama. It is the first visible layer. Itsutsu-ginu. (robes) The robes worn over the hitoe and under the karaginu and mo. Also referred to as uchigi. Juni-hitoe. Literally twelve layers, this is the term for the formal court attire of Heian women, consisting of a kosode, a hitoe, a nagabakama, and many layers of uchigi, often finished with a karaginu and mo. Karaginu-mo. Formal term for juni-hitoe. Kosode. (Short sleeve) Traditional robe style of Heian Japan. It is also the term for the undergarment of both women and men s clothing. The Karaginu is a short Chinese styled jacket worn over the Uwagi and Mo for formal occasions. The Mo is a train or apron-skirt worn over the juni-hitoe for formal occasions. It was considered very formal and was required of women of the court while on official duty Ko-uchigi. (Little cloak) A dressing robe that could be put on over the uchiki to slightly dress up the outfit. Kumihimo. (Gathered threads) Japanese braiding technique. Nagabakama. (divided skirt) Formal version of hakama worn by court women Uchigi. The outside uchigi was called uwagi and the ones worn under it were called kasane-uchigi. The highest ranked court ladies could wear patterned silk; the ordinary court ladies wore unpatterned waves similar to modern habutae. They were also called the itsutsuginu or kinu. 1 Kosode 2 Nagabakama 3 Hitoe 4 Uchigi 5 Ko-Uchigi or Uwagi 6 Karaginu 7 - tatoh-obi 8 mo 9 mo waist band 10 - mo sash 11 hi-ogi (fan) (Photo Credit: Costume Museum Institute, Kyoto) Uwagi. (Over robe) This robe topped the layers of Uchigi. The higher the rank, the longer the uwagi.
Appendix B: Silk vs. Other Materials One of the most frequent questions I am ask when teaching, is why are few to none of my examples in period silk. My first response is that Linen is period --and cheaper. It was saved for high court and both it and Indian Cotton were almost exclusively reserved for the Royal Family. My next response is Have you any idea the price of silk these days? When we first began this project and I started working on Heian costuming, I had no idea the how big a project I was taking on. As a personal rule, I do my best to use materials that are as close to period as possible. The further into our research, I discovered that there was a fundamental hurdle to creating these outfits: Cost. Making a full Juni-hitoe, even with only the five Uchiki (unlined), the kosode, hitoe, nagabakama, uwagi, and mo (all that could be made out of the same type of silk), with dying everything ourselves and choosing the least expensive type of silk we could safely do to get a moderate version of the effect needed, our first Juni-Hitoe (Pictured on the Right) cost right around $600. Needing a minimum of 6 yards per unlined layer, and taking into consideration that when dying silk often shrinks, you need a minimum of 54 yards of silk. 72 yards if you want to add the Court Layers. Understand that the closest material is our modern Silk Taffeta. (without spending almost $100/yard on special Japanese Silk.) You can acquire the low end of this for under $25/yd if you know where to look and you get lucky and if you buy white and are willing to dye it yourself. For the curious, here is a basic break down of the costs. Understand that these are averages, I m well aware that I can use coupons, wait for really good sales, etc. But in the raw, this is how it breaks down for the average person assuming you can make the garment with 14 or 16 wide panels.
Appendix C: Papers Written, Classes Taught and Web Site Over the course of the past 5 or 6 years I have authored or co-authored several Class Handouts (One-Sheets), Research Documents and created a website for anyone interested in accessing our Heian Japanese Research. All of the Research I have done has been with Lady Fujinami no Kaede. She is the best Research Partner as crazy person like me could have. Items co-authored by her or others are indicated below. All of the classes below are taught by both Kaede and Myself of us interchangeably. Classes Taught (Handouts Available) Introduction to Heian Japan Introduction to Heian Japanese Costume The Juni-Hitoe: Heian Lady s Costume Poetry of Heian Japan Literature of Heian Japan Crafting a Kosode Crafting a Person for Heian Japan Other Documents Juni-Hitoe (Golden Seamstress) Written by Jahan Ara amat al-hafeeza, Fujinami no Kaede & Jorun Arrigunnrsdottie Prepared by Jahan Ara amat al-hafeeza Juni-Hitoe: Patterning & Construction of the Basic Robes. Written by Jahan Ara amat al-hafeeza Heian Costume Presentation Men Written by Jahan Ara amat al-hafeeza Heian Costume Presentation Women Written by Jahan Ara amat al-hafeeza Costume Overview Presentation (Men & Women) Written by Jahan Ara amat al- Hafeeza Photo of our traveling classroom (Built by Fujinami no Kaede & Sugawara no Tokihira) In an attempt to make our research as available as possible, we have a website. You can explore what we fondly call the Heian Anthropology Project http:www.freki.com/galen/jahan_ara/heian