Antique Silk Paintings - Period : 18th Century

Here are four ancient paintings on silk showing us in detail the different stages of cotton growing in Japan.

First of all, the cotton is harvested by hand in the cotton fields where the plants are carefully cut, put in bundles and then sorted. The cotton bolls and the leaves are separated from the stem.

The leaves will be used for their therapeutic virtues, to treat liver disorders, nosebleeds, coughs and painful periods or used to relieve menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, excessive sweating).
The cotton capsules will be put to dry. The cotton fibres are first threshed to remove some of the dust and foreign bodies and then sorted before being pressed into bales to make them easier to transport to the spinning mills. 
Spinning is the process of transforming the raw cotton into yarn, and this is our fourth painting.


Period : XVIIIth century
Dimensions : Height : 26,5cm x Width : 22cm

Very early on, the Japanese imported raw cotton and cotton-based manufactured products from China and India, which were not produced on their territory. 
This situation continued until the 16th century, when China introduced its cotton growing methods to Japan. 
Plantations were soon established in the warm western regions of the Japanese archipelago, where the temperate climate and fertile land were particularly suitable for cotton plants. 

During this period, under the impetus of the bourgeois ruling classes, hand-spinning and weaving of cotton grew rapidly, becoming a real cottage industry with production points that developed first in the rural island of Kyushu, before spreading to other warmer regions. 
These industries provided the country with only limited quantities of cotton fabric. Production gradually accelerated with the arrival of more efficient spinning wheels and looms. 

The factories expanded geographically, which significantly reduced the price of cotton cloth. The fabric obtained was comfortable and replaced the coarse hemp cloth. Most of the spinning and weaving of cotton was done by women farmers at home, either for their own needs or as a main or supplementary income.
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