JAPANESE GOLD THREAD.

25 METRES OF EACH OF 8 SHADES.

200 METRES IN TOTAL.

Made in Japan by small specialist workshops.  This gold thread has a subtle sheen - not matt but not very shiny either. This is #2 thread, it is a fine round thread which can be used as a Passing Thread. One metre covers approximately 2 square centimetres densely. 25 metres covers about 50 square cm or 8 square inches. The thread thickness is approximately 0.2mm. The embroidered pheasants on a kimono are made from this type of thread using different shades to create the plumageSent wound onto an acid free foamboard bobbins of 25 metres of each shade of gold thread.  Suitable for embroidery, weaving or stitching. The thread will be sent in a gift box which measures approx. 19cm x 12cm x 2.3 cm. 

This thread was part of the stock of a business which wove cloth of gold and made and wove and embroidered elaborate gold and silver patterned obi material (the ornate broad waist bands worn around a kimono by women). It was imported from Japan in 2009 after the closure of the workshop.  There was a programme on BBC Radio 4 about the traditional kimono and accessory industry in Japan detailing the huge amounts of time spent hand weaving and dyeing the  threads used for these fabrics. (Mastering the Art of the Kimono transmitted on 23rd November 2011.)