Japanese clothing: So Ohio Kimono has a scrap bin- she gets LOTS of used kimono, yukata, etc, and some are a bit damaged, not saleable as-is, etc. We paw through those bins because you can find things that are fantastic than need minimal work. I find this juban (men's undershirt) that has a huge hand-painted scene with mountains, river, and guys in boats. The white circles are shibori- they tied hundreds of knots around the fabric and dyed them in indigo. #kitsuke (cont...)
I ask her "WHY is this in the scrap bin? Is this real shibori?" She says it hasn't been finished off and was just displayed. Oh, it's real hand-tied shibori, and it's artist-signed. I ask how much, and it's well under $50. "You sure???" "Yes" "Add it to our pile!"
I think I got a little better deal because I know something about Japanese history and trad. music. But her prices are pretty good anyway <3