Obi selling on ebay!

Hanabishi girls obi

Mulit colour stripe obi

Thin stripe obi with white detail

Black and red hakata hanhaba obi

Egyptian themed obi bolt

Wine coloured obi bolt with silver kiku

Mustard Hanhaba obi

That's all for now, hopefully they all get sold, or most of them at least :)

Miyako odori uploads.

Not much has happened note worthy of blogging about lately, but I've uploaded my two oldest (so far!) Miyako odori:

My 1913 Miyako odori.

And 1926 Miyako.

Will have more dance programs uploaded soon before my massive lot comes in from Noppin.

Also if I get my lazy bum into gear I'll be listing some things for sale soon, I've still got some dances programes for sale and kimono stuffs in this folder here before I list them on ebay.

Miyako odori uploads and more kimono photos

Firstly I uploaded my:
2008 Miyako odori
2009 Miyako odori
2011 Miyako odori

Will be uploading my 1913 and 1964 Miyako. Also coming up is a 1939 Kamogawa odori and three 1950's Kyo odori programs.

Now some more (bad) photos of my kimono...

My pretty sha hikizuri with hagi desgins. She has bad red stains on the back of the body and a few tea stains on the front but otherwise in ok condition. The lining situation is a bit different, the back panels are lined but the lining stops halfway down the front of the body panels. Not something I've seen before..

My salmon maiko hikizuri with autumn designs. I remember when I first started searching the internet for kimono, and then later maiko hikizuri there weren't many photos of maiko hikizuri but there was this photo:

And then ta-da! it turns up on ebay. Took me a while to decide that it was the same kimono and I jumped on it right away.

And lastly my beautiful waterlily and hydrangea maiko hikizuri! My awful photos don't do it justice but it really is a stunning piece!

Next are my darari obi:

I think the orange one is from a henshin studio because of the unusual mon amd the fact its not double sided like the others..

The white and gold one is a two piece easy obi that is probably also from a henshin studio.

Then my lovely black and gold with ume designs! My most expensive one but also the best condition and probably the legit thing. 

For more detailed photos see the folder Here.

On to normal kimono:

My wisteria haori. I bought this a few years ago, it is quite stained but looks great over black tights XD

A Meiji era girls kimono. It is lovely with all its subtle colours and designs but I really don't know why I bought it... Bit badly discoloured in some places.

More wisteria! This is a really lovely Showa era furisode with wicked wisteria design. Unfortunately the fabric across the shoulders is badly damaged and the cream fabric really shows up the stains and general dirt from years.

More wisteria? what? I bought this from Ichiroya about four years ago (wow that long ago?!) and its a lovely purple ro fabric with long sleeves :)

A blue irotomesode with mirror design. Got this for a good price off an Australian ebay seller, a few discoloured spots but in good contion otherwise.

Kuro furiosde. Bought this from an American seller, it came with a kurotomesode but it looked like someone had put it in the washing machine and when it dried the red lining fabric had bled everywhere!!! it looked sunburnt :( so it was really nice that this furi was in really good condition compared to its sister...

Still got more stuff to photograph but getting there!
Here is the folder with all my other kimono photos if your interested :)

Photographing my collection!

Firstly, I am really bad at taking photos. There, you've been warned.
Anyway, for the longest time I've wanted to take really nice photos of all my kimono... still do. Buut until such a time when I get better I've been taking crappy photos of my stuff :p

So....

My entire obiage collection to date. At the start of the year I bought a mixed lot of obiage. I nearly have every possible colour, at least in the pink/orange/red section and most of them are shibori and only two are ro lol! Better work on that...

 The majority of my obijime collection, except I didn't make a pretty rainbow out of them :(

Two pretty fans I bought from Shinei before they got shut down... on ebay I should say.

If you are interested in close-ups of the above they are in the Kimono accessories folder of my flickr.

Now the good stuff ;)
Since I sold my kiku kuro hikizuri last year I'm technically down to two geiko's hikizuri.
Both of them I think are around mid Showa age and not in wearable condition, so please admire them for all their prettyness.

This wave hikizuri has golden thread woven into the fabric all over giving it a beatuiful shimmery look that makes some photos look off in colour, but the base colour is a nice purple.

The fabric is old and ripping in certain places.

This was the first hikizuri I bought back in 2009 from the original Ryu on ebay.
Like I said, I'm not a great photographer but this one looks much nicer in person. But its badly stained, like someone splashed tea all over it :(

Maiko hiki!

I bought it listed as a furisode with the tucks removed, but because the upper body is so badly discoloured it was rather obvious what it was.

It has beautiful autumn leaves that I just love!

I was also lucky enough to find a maiko wearing it in my 1958 Miyako odori porgam.

So at 54 (if not more) years of age its retiring with me :)

Here is the set on Flickr to see more photos or to view them in a larger size.

Hopefully will get around to doing more soon, but knowing me it'll be a while lol

Scans and Biyosugata!

Trying to knuckle down and scan more goodies in!

I finally grew enough balls to scan my 1913 Miyako odori, I've been putting it off for best part of half a year but its done now!

Have also done 1926 Miyako and 1929 Kamogawa and some lovely old (Taisho) and vinatge (60's) postcards.

I've got a 1964 (I think) Miyako and three 1950's Kyo odori to scan and edit then share with everyone!

A couple of weeks ago I picked up about half of my kimono collection Yay!!!

Its also Immortal Geisha's 10th year anniversary this year and I've been wanting to dress in my IG coloured kimono with my new lotus obi to celebrate:

I thought I'd try using my Biyosugata out just to tie a normal taiko..... Well it sucked! I haven't used a Biyo before so I guess it was going to be difficult the first time anyway but I just couldn't get the hang of it!

I went and read the IG thread of how to use a Biyosugata and think I picked up a few hints, I'll hopefully try again in a few days with pictures... Maybe...

I also am going to take new photos of all my kimono stuffs, I started with my maiko hikizuri with pine and crane design:

See more photos here

I haven't really shared any of my recent purchases lately but I do have a few, most excitedly I won three massive lots of odori programs a few weeks ago:

WOOHOO! It'll be a couple of months probably before I scan/uploads these but I just wanted to share :)

Odori program sale

I'm going through my entire collection of things and am starting with my doubles of dance programs:

Clockwise from top left:
Miyako 1992 $15 Small marks on covers, spine in good condition.
Miyako 1994 $15 Small scuffs on covers, otherwise good.
Miyako 1931 $45 Fragile condition, spine coming apart, inside pages have age spots and colour.
Miyako 1933 $45 Fragile condition, spine coming apart, inside pages have age spots and coloured.
Miyako 1971 $40 Fragile conditon, spine is coming apart, cover has some marks.

Clockwise from top left:
Kamogawa 1989 $15 good condition.
Kamogawa 1958 $20 fair condition. Crease on front & back covers, small scuffs on edges, inside pages are age coloured.
Kyo 1951 $35 fragile condition. Spine is fraying, small marks and age spots on covers.
Kyo 2009 $15 Good condition.
Kitano 1992 $15 Small marks on covers bt otherwise good condition.
Aiko no Kamogawa 1995 $15 Good condition.

Clockwise from top left: Onshukai from 1993, 
Kaomise Kabuki 1961,
Onshukai 1994
Onshukai, I can't read the date on this one but it must be early 1990's because Mineko (not Iwasaki) is still a maiko.
All good condition, the Onshukai have no English and only one photo of a maiko.
The Kabuki has an Eglish description of the acts.
$5 each

If you want to swap something instead I'll consider all offers :)

If these don't get sold in a couple of months I'll list them on ebay for auction.

I will also list some kimono and other stuff soon, will just take me slightly longer to sort through that stuff.

More uploads

I have been super slack lately and sick but I uploaded the 2003 Miyako today.
Hopefully get some other stuff up tomorrow...
Also if your interested a guy on Flickr has uploaded some photos of his grandmother and mothers' collection of hikizuri and accessories... Miyako maeri and Miyako gaeri are the accounts he uses, he doesn't have a pro account so there won't be any more uploads till next month but there are some beautiful pieces that have been shown so far!

I haven't had a chance to research more about my pine maiko hikizuri.
I think the last I wrote about was the portrait of Mamehiro asking if anyone could translate the text, well Toshiha from the IG forums had a co-worker translate it:


"She has a small, ideal looking face for a maiko. She is part of the same okiya as Mamehana, a shinjinrui maiko--she is a type of girl who talks softly."


It also says she is a "Shinjinrui Maiko" - shinjinrui is a sort of slang for a person who is born in Heisei period, i.e. it's saying she is young. (not just age wise but like she is a modern girl with modern speech too)."


Now there wasn't a Mamehana at that time but the is Mameka, these are also from the Bacchus magazine scans in my flickr:

Rosarote from flickr was kind enough to get the text for me:
舞妓になって十ヵ月。 〝新人類舞妓”の筆頭的存在。 とにかく賑やかさにかけては甲部随一。 たまたま同期だったことも手伝い, 豆花をリーダー格に、 まめ丸、 真嬉の 三人で 〝ハナ・マル・キ〝 トリオを結成。 お座敷の台風の目である。
From google translate: 
Ten months to become maiko. Presence of the head of "Maiko new humanity." Is busy during the best part anyway instep. To help readers rated, a bean flower, formed round beans, "Hana-Maru wood" trio of three people happy also true that it was by chance synchronization. Some in the eye of the storm of Ozashiki.


I think it mentions Mamemaru:

Again from Rosarote: Here's the kanji:

宝塚の大ファン。 が、 宝塚には入らず、 なぜか舞妓になってしまった。 ステージ に向かってキャーキャー騒ぐのが大好き。

According to Google translate, she was a fan of Takarazuka (I'm assuming that refers to the all-female acting troupe), but she decided to become a Maiko instead.

Also from the Bacchus magainze is a portrait of Mameha that I think mentions Mameka:

「熱しやすく冷めやすい性格」とは、 同じ置屋の姉妹舞妓・豆花の弁。 なんとなくジャネット八田に似た、 おっとり美形.

From google translate: And "personality easily warmed up but just as easily cooled down" is a valve of the same flower, beans Maiko Okiya sister. Janet somehow similar to Hatta, filled with beautiful unfussy.

Ummm, I take that to mean she's a bit shy, can be fun, like her sisters in the okiya. Is the description referring to this Janet Hatta?

So I don't really know...
But just because they are "Mame" maiko doesn't mean they are actual sisters... 


Mamemaru is wearing a similar kimono to this:

And I know maiko recently ( in the past 5 years or so) have been wearing a similar kimono, if not the same one. I don't know if it is the same kimono, if it is then Mamemaru isn't from the okiya I'm searching for as they have a kikyo mon and the maiko in the above photo has a tsuta (ivy) mon on her fan....

I just don't know! At least I found some maiko wearing my kimono :)