Bingata

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Bingata is an Okinawan traditional resist-dyed cloth, made using stencils and other methods. It is generally bright-colored and features various patterns, usually depicting natural subjects such as fish, water, and flowers. Bingata is worn during traditional Ryūkyū arts performances and historical reinactments.

Bingata dates from the Ryūkyū Kingdom period (c. 14th century), when the island of Okinawa experienced an influx of foreign goods and manufacturing techniques. It is believed to have developed as a synthesis of Indian, Chinese, and Javanese dying processes.

1 History
2 Manufacturing Process
3 Works Cited
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

Bingata was created as a dying process for the clothing of royalty and nobles during the time the Ryūkyū Kingdom. Because of this, most of the dye-shops at the time were located around Shuri Castle. After invasion by Satsuma, and loss of the autonomy of the kingdom, many of these shops could no longer be supported by the royal family and were forced to move to Naha. Because of the lack of royal patronage, at this point, the art form began to lose popularity.

During World War II many of the bingata artisans lost their entire store of tools and stencils. After the war, proper materials were hard to come by, so materials discarded by the soldiers at Okinawa were reappropriated for use as design paper, stencils, spatulas, dye and the like. Bingata artisans at that time also dyed postcards as souvenirs for the American Forces located in Okinawa to purchase.

[edit] Manufacturing Process

A Bingata kobo, or manufacturing facility

[edit] Works Cited

Yamazato Keiko et. al. Bingata. Marumasa Printing Co.: Okinawa, Japan, 1989. A well-illustrated brief overview of Bingata history and manufacture, written by students and instructors from Okinawa Christian Junior College.