Happy Retirement Master Yamada

It saddens us to announce the retirement of our dear friend and beloved Artisan, Master Yamada. He has dyed beautiful patterns for over Fifty years and has brought the Japanese traditional “Kyo-Yuzen” dye method to life. We are proud to say that twelve years of his career were spent with us at Pagong. His contributions and beautiful artwork will always be valued and remembered.

His skilled work, commitment, and dedication are worthy of admiration.

Master Yamada will be greatly missed.

As a tribute, we have decided to feature in this newsletter, pictures of his artwork and his beloved patterns.

On behalf of everyone at Pagong, We would like to celebrate the end of his long career as an artisan and wish him the best.

Jakuchu Ito’s Plants and Animals

Master Yamada’s last piece of his career, is Jakuchu Ito’s “Plants and Animals”. A colorful pattern with many animals and plants uses 26 screens to print. He has carefully dyed each color to create his final masterpiece. This Silk Aloha Shirt will be in stores in the Fall.

Dairingiku

He has dyed thousands of Pagong’s garments. His favorite pattern was the “Dairingiku” or Great Chrysanthemum. The beautiful gradations in the petals of each flower and the meticulous details are beyond any other pattern.

Jakuchu Ito’s Rooster in the Snow

Jakuchu Ito’s “Rooster in the Snow” was the most struggled pattern. The snow is detailed so fine that it is almost like real snow you can touch. Each screen would need to be dyed with the same strength to make this snow be faithfully depicted.

Although Master Yamada has retired, he has left us an archive of his artwork, and his skills have been passed down to our young artisans to keep and continue the Kyo-Yuzen dye tradition for years to come.