全国くらしの工芸展 11/25（金）〜11/27（日）　会場：サンドーム福井

都城大弓

Miyakonojo Bows

木竹品

宮崎県

Miyazaki

鹿児島成（なり）の流れをくむ大弓で、江戸時代後期には盛んに作られていたことが記録に残っています。明治時代に入り、川内地区から来住した楠見親子が多くの弓作りの職人を養成しました。豊富な原材料に恵まれたこともあって、昭和初期には、東アジアにまで製品が売られるような大産地になりました。
戦後、低迷期がありましたが、最盛期には30人近くの弓作りの職人が活躍していました。現在でもわが国で唯一の産地として竹弓の9割を生産しています。

Closely connected with the history of Kagoshima, there are documents verifying that just after the middle of the 19th century, the making of Miyakonojo bows was a thriving local craft and by the end of the century, many bow makers had been instructed in the craft by two generations of the locally residing Kusumi family. Blessed with plentiful supplies of locally obtainable raw materials, the craft developed and by the 1920s bows were being sold in East Asia. Although there was a fall in demand after World War II, at the height of production there were some 30 bow makers active in the area. It is now the country's only production center for bows, 90% of all bamboo bows being made here.Following an established pattern, there are seven joints of bamboo on the forward face and six on the inner face. Although the shape may differ according to who makes it, a good bow is thought to be one with a perfect balance between its upper and lower portions, and one to which consideration has been given to its center of gravity and the distribution of weight after the arrow has been shot. With 9 government recognized Master Craftsmen among them, there are now 15 people employed by 11 firms continuing this long tradition.

本場大島紬

Oshima Pongee

織物

鹿児島県

宮崎県

Kagoshima　Miyazaki

奄美における大島紬の始まりは、7世紀頃に遡ります。産地が形成されたのは18世紀初期のことで、その後、技法は鹿児島にも伝わりました。絣模様は締め機（しめはた）という独特の機を用いて作られます。糸を染める「泥染め」の技法は特に有名です。
紬のルーツは、遠くインドでうまれたイカットという絣織り（かすりおり）だと言われており、イカットが、スマトラ、ジャワからスンダ列島一帯に広がりを見せた頃に、奄美大島にも伝わったと言われています。

The origins of this cloth woven on the Amami islands near Okinawa dates back to the 7th century. It was not until the beginning of the 18th century, however, that the craft took on the guise of an industry and its techniques were subsequently handed on to those working in Kagoshima Prefecture. The ikat or kasuri patterns are achieved on a special loom called a shimehata. And the dyeing of the yarn with mud is especially famous. The origins of this cloth are said to go back to the ikat weaves that originated in far off India and when this technique spread through Sumatra, Java and on through the East Indies, it was also brought to the Amami islands.This distinctive, beautifully fine ikat patterned cloth has a restrained character, being dyed with a colorant derived from a member of the rose family called sharinbai (Rhaphiolepis umbellata) and mud. There are now 11,908 people engaged in this work managed by 748 firms. There are 141 government recognized Master Craftsmen among those at work.