Customer Reviews

The World of Rozome: Wax-Resist Textiles of Japan

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If you want to know anything or everything about Japanese textile dyeing techniques, this is the sourcebook. It is expensive, but well worth the price. This is not your usual coffee table book. Sure, it shows pictures of the textiles themselves. But it also discusses the dyeing techniques in great detail. It even gives the reader step by step instructions, with pictures, of how to make and apply to various resists. It even gives recipies for resists! It is an invaluable reference for the textile artist and clothing historian. I have never before seen a book so useful and so informative. It gets the Reconstructing History thumbs up!

This book is considered the seminal text in English on this ancient artform, which is similar to batik in that it utilizes melted wax as a resist, but uses completely different techniques and completely different tools. The resulting artwork had a unique look, more like a painting. Filled with photos and detailed text, it is a comprehensive book, detailing the styles of several living rozome masters in Japan, as well as providing instructions for how to begin to do this work, and what supplies are needed. I learned about this book during travel. It is out of print and hard to get. My companion told me I'd never find one for sale. I was delighted to get this used copy in excellent condition, received just 3 days from when I placed my order. The author is a fine artist in her own right, going beyond the techniques described in the book to create timely, exquisite and visionary artwork.