The Tip of a Textile Iceberg
Hiroko
Iwatate began traveling the world to collect textiles about five decades ago
and has not stopped since. Her Indian
collection alone amounts to several thousand pieces, a small part of the overall
inventory. Southeast Asia and Japan are
also heavily represented. Her small museum can accommodate only a fraction of
what she owns at one time, but the exhibitions are beautifully curated. Iwatate-san is usually on hand during the
limited opening hours and, if she’s not busy, she’ll tell you the stories behind
each and every piece.
Up now at the Iwatate Folk Textile Museum: Homemade Children's Garments - India to Japan. All but a few of the items are from Hiroko Iwatate's vast collection. We visited yesterday and got a personal tour. The photo is from the museum's home page.
It's an amazing place, one we'll highlight in our upcoming guide, "Textile Lovers' Tokyo." To receive your free copy, click the Ajimi Ichiba link on the right side of this page and sign up for news and deals at the bottom of page one. We'll pop the guide into your inbox as soon as it's available.
VS
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Open
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm (last entrance at 4:30 pm) during
exhibitions.
Address:
Jiyugaoka 1-25-13, Iwatate Building (岩立ビル) 3F
Telephone: 03-3718-24 61
Telephone: 03-3718-24 61
Nearest
station: Jiyugaoka on the Tokyu Toyoko Line and the Tokyu Oimachi Line.
English
website: http://www.iwatate-hiroko.com/gallery_e.html
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