Inoue Den

Japanese: 井上伝 - いのうえ・でん

Year of death: 26th April 1869 (6th June 1869)
Year of birth: Tenmei 8.12.29 (1789.1.24)
She is said to be the founder of Kurume Kasuri in the late Edo period. She was born in Kurume Tori-ga-machi (Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture) as the daughter of rice merchant Hirayama Genzo. She excelled at weaving from an early age, and by the age of about 12 or 13, she was actively weaving striped cotton and other fabrics to help support her family. One day, she noticed white spots on a worn kimono due to fading, so she unraveled the kimono and, following the pattern of the black and white threads crossing, tied the threads together and dyed them with indigo. She then discovered that the kasuri pattern appeared when the threads were crossed. This kasuri fabric became popular, and was called "Kasuri" or "Oden-kasuri." By the time she was 40, she is said to have had 300 to 400 apprentices gather to learn the weaving technique. In addition, around Bunka 10 (1813), she improved her loom with the help of Tanaka Hisashige (the first generation), a "karakuri" craftsman who lived nearby, in order to weave the white spots into a pattern. Here we can see a glimpse of the process of conventional technological development.

(Masayuki Tanimoto)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：明治2.4.26(1869.6.6)
生年：天明8.12.29(1789.1.24)
江戸後期の久留米絣の始祖とされる人物。米穀商平山源蔵の娘として久留米通外町(福岡県久留米市)に生まれる。幼少より機織りに優れ,12,3歳ごろには縞木綿などを盛んに織り出し家計を助けていたが,あるとき,着古した着物に色落ちによる白斑点があるのをみつけ,着物をほどき,その糸の黒白が交錯するのにならって,糸を括り藍染を行う。そしてその糸を交差させることで絣模様が現れることを発見したという。この絣織物が「加寿利」「お伝絣」と呼ばれて人気を呼び,40歳のころには,その製織技術を学びに300人から400人におよぶ弟子が集まったといわれる。また,文化10(1813)年ごろ,白点の部分を絵模様に織り上げるため,織機の改良を近隣に住む「からくり」職人田中久重(初代)の協力を得て実現した。在来的な技術開発のプロセスの一端をここにみることができよう。

(谷本雅之)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Inoue Dosetsu

>>: Tsutomu Inoue