THE HIDDEN TREASURES: Unveiling Sixteen Hundred Years of Ancient Beauty
Human inherent differences are evident in every country: language, religion, custom, philosophy, race, and so on.
In Japan, there are “ways” such as Judo, Kendo, Shodo, Kado, all of which have attained the height of quality by fusing techniques or practices in various activities with the spiritual concept of “the way”. By incorporating a cup of tea into “the way,” Sado, the way of tea, tea ceremony has reached the level of art, leading people to spiritual deepening.
Japanese embroidery (nihon shishu in Japanese) began in Japan around 500-600 AD. Later, the long isolation of Japan from the rest of the world allowed Japanese embroidery to be refined and developed into truly exquisite art. As a result, the art of Japanese embroidery remained exclusively in Japan, passed on only from Master to apprentices. Now after 1,600 years of perfecting by countless unknown predecessors, this sophisticated art is being unveiled to a wider audience through the establishment of the Japanese Embroidery Center, in Atlanta, GA, USA.
The Japanese Embroidery Center was founded in 1989 as a non-profit educational organization to preserve and share the art, heritage, and culture of Japanese embroidery through the pursuit of Nuido, “The Way of Embroidery.” Its network has grown to over 1,000 members from 16 countries, including the United States, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico.
Classes are held multiple times annually. New Students Class or Phase I is held in conjunction with the All Phases Class and is targeted toward those with no experience in Japanese Embroidery. Simple techniques, such as how to hold a needle, assemble a frame, stitch direction, etc. are taught. In addition, Japanese embroidery concepts called Nuido, the way of embroidery, will also be introduced.
“Bouquet from the Heart of Japan” (below), one of several designs offered, is our very thorough journey through Phase I techniques. Most of our beginning students choose to stitch this design.
In Japan, it’s traditional to give a person a bouquet of flowers when he or she begins a major new venture. This bouquet is given to the new student to begin their training in Japanese Embroidery. It is a gift from the Heart of Japan. This design is composed of primary colors, red for the dianthus, blue for the iris, and yellow for the valerian. To these fundamental colors, the feminine color of purple was added along with green. Dark brown was used to add depth to the design, while white offers a sense of spaciousness. Gold provides a touch of luxury.” |
105 Bouquet from the Heart of Japan with Color
L10″ x W12″
Habutae 15″
Tuition for this four-day class is $40 per day. Students at the Japanese Embroidery Center can join our 550 Club. The $550 flat payment covers all Phase I-IX classes attended at the Center during the year. Learn more…