Textiles of Japan: The Thomas Murray Collection

Member Events
Cotton tsutsugaki (freehand resist). Japan, 20th century. Photo courtesy of Thomas Murray.

Textiles of Japan: The Thomas Murray Collection

Instructor: 
Thomas Murray
When: 
March 7, 2020
Time: 
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Place: 
Koret Education Center, Asian Art Museum
Fee: 
$15 Society members; $20 non-members (after museum admission)

Textiles are an eloquent form of cultural expression and of great importance in the daily life of Japanese people, as well as in their rituals and ceremonies. Thomas Murray will speak to us about his Textiles of Japan collection, composed of hand-made textiles used by country people, farmers, and fishermen. He will offer insight into Japan's complex textile history, discussing the Mingei Movement's philosophy that inspired his collecting, and warned that modernization would leave behind hand weaving and dyeing, encouraging the preservation of the craft and the traditional textiles.

This very fine and extensive collection has recently been published in a widely acclaimed and lavishly illustrated book, Textiles of Japan.

Thomas Murray is an independent researcher, collector, lecturer and private dealer of Asian and Tribal art with an emphasis on Indonesian sculpture and textiles, as well as animistic art from other varied cultures. He also features Indian trade cloths from the 14th to the 18th centuries. A HALI magazine contributing editor for the last 30 years, Murray serves as their in-house expert on all tribal sculpture and textiles, with more than 50 publications.

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