Bobbins, Threads and Needles
Bobbins, Threads and Needles, Koju Yamashita, Hanakata Pattern Album, c. 1899.
Motifs of bobbins, threads and needles are most commonly associated with the kimono of young women. The design is also closely connected to the Tanabata Festival which celebrates the meeting of the stars Vega and Altair, in Japan referred to as the deities The Weaver Girl and The Herdsman.
The ancient myth tells the story of Orihime (The Weaver Girl) who is separated from her lover Hikoboshi (The Herdsman) by the river Amanagawa (‘The Heavenly River’ or the Milky Way); they can only meet once a year on a summer night and this day has been the subject of various celebrations over the centuries.
The festival gained widespread popularity during the early Edo period. Popular customs relating to the festival varied by region, but generally, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship, hence the bobbin, thread and needle motifs on kimono.
