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About Kimonoboy
If you've been searching for Japanese folk textiles of the highest quality and the greatest variety, you've arrived at the right place!Our site maintains the largest and widest selection of Japanese folk textiles on the internet. We have sold more than 3,150 Japanese folk textiles to well-known international celebrities, politicians, museums, ambassadors, the 1% and the 99%. Our exceptional textiles have been welcomed into such diverse worldwide locations as Moscow, Beijing, Stellenbosch (South Africa), New York City, Paris, Sharjah (UAE) and the list goes on. The most expensive single folk textile we’ve sold was price at $8,995 and at the least expensive was $15.
The expanding worldwide fascination and admiration for Japanese folk textiles transcends international borders, cultures, personal wealth as well as religious and political beliefs.
Kimonoboy is our company name. We are an online dealer of antique and historic Japanese folk textiles with a specialty in mid 1800s to early 1900s cotton boro futon covers, farmer and fisherman clothing and other early Japanese cotton and hemp fabrics.
Company Mission
To encourage people throughout the world to learn about and appreciate the magnificent character of early Japanese folk textiles and related Japanese artifacts.What Our Fantastic Customers Say About Us!
The indigo pieces I received are most beautiful fabrics, very accurately ironed, clean, without any holes. This fabric pieces are true treasures as they a disappearing from the market and I was happy to see the love they have been handled with by Kimonoboy.
Natalia Dmitrieva
Australia
Management & Staff
Jim and Akiko Austin. We own the company.
Akiko has been interested in textiles for more years than she cares to remember. It all started in 1999 when my mother presented her with an American quilt top. She had not seen such a textile before but from that point onward, Akiko became fascinated with the stories behind historic American textiles. Over subsequent years, we made countless buying trips to the USA rigorously searching through dealer stalls at the large antique shows in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, for special quilts, feedsacks from the 1930s and much older fabrics. Akiko loved them all and was thrilled beyond my understanding every time she discovered a special textile. With the knowledge she gained from American textile collecting, she had a natural segue into the appreciation of her own country's historic folk textiles, especially indigo cottons and hemps.
As Akiko became an expert in American and Japanese textiles, I seemed to learn about Japanese folk textiles simply through close proximity to her. I have grown to admire all the captivating subtleties, complexities, and refined skills of early Japanese textile production; spinning, looming, dyeing, and design.
Akiko has been interested in textiles for more years than she cares to remember. It all started in 1999 when my mother presented her with an American quilt top. She had not seen such a textile before but from that point onward, Akiko became fascinated with the stories behind historic American textiles. Over subsequent years, we made countless buying trips to the USA rigorously searching through dealer stalls at the large antique shows in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, for special quilts, feedsacks from the 1930s and much older fabrics. Akiko loved them all and was thrilled beyond my understanding every time she discovered a special textile. With the knowledge she gained from American textile collecting, she had a natural segue into the appreciation of her own country's historic folk textiles, especially indigo cottons and hemps.
As Akiko became an expert in American and Japanese textiles, I seemed to learn about Japanese folk textiles simply through close proximity to her. I have grown to admire all the captivating subtleties, complexities, and refined skills of early Japanese textile production; spinning, looming, dyeing, and design.
Akiko & I are grateful for the superb skills of our trusted staff.
Yuki-san: Hand Repairs
Favorite thought about Japanese folk textiles, "I am regularly in awe of how hundreds of years ago people, with such limited resources and with such precise techniques, were able to create these wonderful textiles".
Miki-san: Ironing, Quality Control
Favorite thought about Japanese folk textiles, "Even though I am Japanese, I knew very little about these folk textiles before working at kimonoboy. I'm thrilled to be able to experience vicariously the cultural history of Japan every time I touch an old piece of fabric".
Yuki-san: Hand Repairs
Favorite thought about Japanese folk textiles, "I am regularly in awe of how hundreds of years ago people, with such limited resources and with such precise techniques, were able to create these wonderful textiles".
Miki-san: Ironing, Quality Control
Favorite thought about Japanese folk textiles, "Even though I am Japanese, I knew very little about these folk textiles before working at kimonoboy. I'm thrilled to be able to experience vicariously the cultural history of Japan every time I touch an old piece of fabric".
Where We Find Our Textiles
We acquire our textiles at auctions, estate sales, antique shows and Buddhist temple flea markets.
Life in Japan
I came to Japan 20 years ago to study Japanese for personal interest. Shortly after arriving, I was fortunate to meet a wonderful woman, Akiko, with whom I fell in love with and married. Akiko and I decided to reside in Japan rather than the USA where I am from. My marriage to Akiko and our decision to live in Japan were two of the wisest commitments I have ever made. I'm a very lucky guy.We reside in a mountainous rural village recently incorporated (2005) into Saga City, Japan. (Wikipedia, Saga, Japan)
