Memories dwelling in Tatsugo patterns: A small fabric story from WABISUKE
Memories dwelling in Tatsugo patterns - A small fabric story from WABISUKE
A small piece of cloth is gently placed in the silence of a mossy forest.
The black, white and red geometric patterns stand out against the natural greenery.
It is a coin purse with a Tatsugo pattern made by WABISUKE. However, it can be used for more than just coins; it can also be used as a medicine case, an accessory case, or a place to quietly store pieces of mementoes you find on your travels.
This fabric is imbued with memories.
It is the memory of the winds blowing on the southern islands, the warmth of the artisan's hands, and a reinterpretation of culture that WABISUKE has woven into the modern era.
What is the Tatsugo pattern? A design born from the Amami climate
The Tatsugo pattern is one of the representative patterns of Oshima Tsumugi, a traditional fabric handed down on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The name comes from Tatsugo Town on Amami Oshima, and the pattern has been woven in this area since ancient times.
A distinctive feature is the geometric composition, with motifs reminiscent of flowers and leaves repeated within a diamond shape.
At first glance it gives off a modern impression, but at its core lies a respect for nature and an aesthetic sense rooted in the island's culture.
The Tatsugo pattern is said to be an abstraction of Amami's nature - the sea, mountains, wind, and the lives of the people who live there.
Oshima Tsumugi is an intricately woven fabric made using mud dyeing and the kasuri technique.
Among them, the Tatsugo pattern has long been loved as a design that combines strength and delicacy and leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.
Reinterpretation by WABISUKE - The spirit of Tatsugo resides in canvas
This coin purse, made by WABISUKE, is an original design that arranges the traditional Tatsugo pattern with a modern sensibility.
The material used is durable and textured canvas.
By dyeing canvas instead of silk, the garment is durable enough for everyday use and has a casual, approachable feel.
However, the spirit embodied in it is unmistakably that of Tatsugo.
The memories of the island live on in the repeated patterns.
The colors are black, white, and red - each with its own meaning.
The black represents the depth of the mud dye, the white represents the purity of the wind, and the red represents the sun and passion of the island.
This pattern is not just a pattern.
It is a poem woven with cultural memory, a story inscribed on fabric.
A big story in a small piece of fabric
This coin purse is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
But it's not just coins that are stored inside.
For example, pebbles and shells picked up on a trip.
A ring inherited from my grandmother.
Gently putting away your daily medication is a habit that helps you take care of your body.
How it is used varies from person to person.
However, no matter how it is used, this cloth will gently encase the memories of its owner.
This is the power that cloth possesses: the power to preserve memories and weave stories.
Passing on culture - the philosophy of WABISUKE
WABISUKE is not just a brand that makes products.
They are "storytellers" who inherit and reinterpret culture and are closely connected to the lives of people living in the present day.
The choice to dye the Tatsugo pattern onto canvas reflects the intention to reconstruct tradition in a way that suits modern life, rather than simply reproducing it as is.
It is not about "preserving" culture, but about "making use of" it.
And through the medium of fabric, we connect people to each other, people to the land, and people to memories.
This coin purse is the culmination of that philosophy.
The wind of Amami, the hands of the artisans, and the thoughts of WABISUKE are all present in this small piece of cloth.
Finally: The fabric that wraps your story
When you pick up this coin purse, what will you put inside?
Coins, medicine, accessories - these are fragments of everyday life.
However, when these fragments are gathered together, a story is born.
The Tatsugo pattern looks to eternity in its repeated patterns.
And WABISUKE brings that eternity to the palm of your hand.
A small piece of fabric, a big memory.
To gently wrap your story.