AMASAGI ZENMAI PONGEE
Akita Prefecture
Materials: Silk, ferns, waterfowl down
This famed pongee is made not only from silk but also from the “hairs” of local plants and animals. The floss of young Japanese flowering ferns are removed one by one and are entwined with silk thread, along with the down of waterfowls, and woven into kimonos found only in the Tohoku district. Although the additional materials were originally used because cotton was scarce, they also help repel insects and result in light, warm, and water-resistant fabric. Sporadic patches of brown fern floss blend naturally and tastefully with unbleached cotton. Production of amasagi zenmai pongee was discontinued at one point but was revived after a hiatus of about five decades.
天鷺ぜんまい紬
秋田県
素材：絹、ぜんまい、水鳥
絹の糸だけではなく、身の回りにある植物や動物の毛までも織り込み、仕上げた伝統の織。わずかなぜんまいの綿毛を大事にひとつづつ摘み取り、絹糸にそのぜんまいの綿毛を絡ませ、さらに水鳥の羽毛も織り込んだこの着物は、当時の東北の厳しい暮らしを彷彿とさせます。天鷺ぜんまい紬は、軽くて暖かく、そして撥水性があり、防虫・防水に効果もあります。ところどころに見えるぜんまいの茶色と、絹の生成り色が自然な優しい雰囲気を醸し出します。昭和初期に一度途絶えましたが、５０年の時を経て復活しました。
