■梅田町一丁目
▲(0277)32-0366
「織塾」は「絣と縞と紬がライフワーク」の武藤さんが代表者。伊勢崎・結城・館林絣、館林の唐桟縞・明治から大正にかけての桐生縞織物、伊勢崎・松本・上田・郡上紬などのほか、インドネシア、タイ、ビルマなどの絣、紬の織物サンプル数万点、手織り道具などがある。
織塾は高度な織物技術者の集まりで、梅田の大きな民家を拠点に研究をつづけている。桐生市工房推進会議がハイタッチデザインパーク事業のひとつとして、2年7月に指定した「創作工房」の第1号。
これまでに「北の国の布展」や「縞展」を開催。「織塾は知識や技術を得られる場であり、なんとしても楽しむ場なんです。市内に拠点となる複数の“ミニ博物館”ができれば、全体では大きなまちの博物館となる」と武藤さん。
■Splashed patterns, stripes and pongee - Kiryuu Private Textile School (Kazuo Mutoh)
■Umeda-cho 1-chome
▲(0277)32-0366
The school, represented by Mr. Mutoh who says splashed patterns, stripes and pongee are
his life's work, houses tens of thousands of fabric samples - Isesaki, Yuhki, and
Tatebayashi splashed patterns; Tatebayashi's Tohsen stripes; Kiryuu striped textiles from
Meiji to Taisho; Isesaki, Matsumoto, Ueta and Gunjoh pongee; and Indonesian, Thai and
Burmese splashed patterns and pongee. There are also handweaving tools and other items.
The private school is a place for skilled textile designers, who use a large house in
Umeda as a base for their ongoing research. At the July, 1990, Kiryuu City Studio
Promotion Conference, the school was chosen 'best original studio' of all those in High
Touch Design Park. Exhibitions of textiles from northern Japan and striped work had been
held up to that time. "The school is a place of knowledge and technique, but it is
also a fun place ... If we can establish another mini museum in the city, then altogether
we'll be like a big city museum", says Mr. Mutoh.