Yesterday I ventured about an hour's drive from Tokyo to a shrine sale (flea market) in Kawagoe. It happens on the 28th of each month. I'd been a few times when we lived here before - always by train - but not since moving back to Japan.
Yes, I know, Coronavirus. But I didn't take the trains. I was lucky to be offered a ride with a group of friends from church - all expats from the U.S. We passed around hand sanitizer and conjectured and wondered at what is really happening with this virus. David will be working from home until at least March 13. Our churches are closed. Schools closed so fast - this is just unprecedented and I feel for the young Moms!
Anyway, Kawagoe. Fewer vendors than usual. Sparse crowd, but we were there early.
First priority, good katazome for special projects. Tammy found some here:
I found some at another vendor.
Prices for this kind of vintage indigo have risen. A two-meter length was 5000 yen (about $50). Yikes. Precious stuff. Notice the wear and fading - love it. My favorite kind of wabi sabi.
A boro mend on an old piece of kasuri:
Not sure if this Shippo (Seven Treasures) sashiko design is someone's UFO, or was deliberately randomly cut off this way - very cool either way:
Kokeshi dolls are ubiquitous:
This darling little squat doll called to me - 500 yen (about $5) -
Lots of fun randomness at a shrine sale like this:
You know my blog header, the "fundo" (balance weights) sashiko design? Here are fundo in real life - thanks to Tammy's eagle eye for noticing. Next time, I've got to find out if these are sold individually - why didn't I ask?! They were at a very very high end vendor and I didn't think to ask.
Tacky and fun maneki neko:
Edo-era five yen coins, 200 yen a piece:
A gorgeous quilt - can't remember the price but it was exorbitant -
Wish I'd gotten a photo of this utilitarian whole cloth sashiko quilt one friend got for a steal:
And last but not least, my best find from the day - this very sturdy old Japanese basket (made from I don't know what tree, but something about "branches hanging down"), 4500 yen (about $45) - the essence of wabi sabi. I love baskets so much, and this one sparked joy the minute I saw it.
I filled it with some Japanese fishing floats - I absolutely love them! They were fun to wash in a bucket - I felt like a little kid at the sink:
I love the contrast in texture of the basket and the glass floats.
All in all, a very fun satisfying outing, and a great distraction from Coronavirus anxiety! I love bringing some wabi sabi into the apartment.
xo
Cynthia
Oh my gosh, I can hardly comment, I am so amazed and envious. Those fabrics, the darling chubby doll, the wonderful basket and floats...what an amazing outing you had. Both of the large quilts are beautiful. And what about the fabric w the boro mwnd! Oh oh oh, jutst marvelous. I wish I could experience a market like that someday. Enjoy your treasures. Stay home and be safe if you can.
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lizzy
what an amazing market! such fun things to look at and I adore that little doll! Thanks for such a nice tour. The quilt is amazing and the basket of fishing balls is so ying/yang I love it! You've got a great eye.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for more Japanese culture. I soak it up!
What a great experience. So much wonderful, expensive fabric. I too LOVE baskets. Yours is indeed a wonderful find. Hugs
ReplyDeleteYou found some wonderful treasures! Those fabrics are so beautiful--I can understand why they are asking so much for them, but what fun when you find a bargain. Thanks for sharing your adventure--I'm in Minnesota and going crazy from cabin fever--lol!
ReplyDeleteSeems like you had a marvelous time digging and discovering. Your new basket is gorgeous and the fishing floats make a great contrast. I love going to sales with friends. It's so fun to see who finds the best bargains
ReplyDeleteOh, yes...this is a wonderful post. Love the fabric and the basket and all the fun pieces at the market..Good for you xo
ReplyDeleteWe always looked for the Japanese fishing floats when we spent time on the Oregon beaches (never did find any, though others did). Your basket and the floats are perfect together. Well, all your other finds are pretty wonderful too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great outing!! In the midst of what I'm sure is a frenetic market you've managed to share your focus on terrific treasures. Fun times!!
ReplyDeleteOnce again, thanks for sharing your view! It makes so much more sense to see Japanese items with context, rather than just as random pictures.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed going along to the market with you. The fabrics, the dolls, the basket and floats--love it all!
ReplyDeleteI imagine the virus is an even bigger concern there than it is here, and it seems enough of a concern here.
I remember the days long ago of attending those shrine sales. At that time fabric pieces were quite cheap. Long ago I taught basketry merit badge at scout camp (back in the summers when camp went two weeks) and each year we had a challenge to go out in the woods and find vines and natural material to make a basket, Wish you could have seen some of those!
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