Autumn Maple Leaves (Kaede Momiji) Kanzashi 271

Kaede Momiji (autumn maple leaves) are a kanzashi motif worn by maiko in the month of November. This kanzashi is composed of fourteen hand-dyed momiji (autumn maple) leaves. Each flower has a gold mizuhiki at its center. Dangling gracefully below are three rows of 63 leaf petals on the shidare (falls). There are a total of 161 individual hand-dyed silk maple leaf components in this arrangement. It is mounted on a 10 cm (4") silver-plated, two-pronged hairpin.


Habutae silk is hand-dyed, starched to the stiffness of paper, and cut into small square pieces. Each piece is hand folded into a single petal using sharp tweezers and “pinched” in the traditional tsumami method similar to folding origami. The petals are aligned on a flat board which is covered with our recipe of rice glue. Each silk petal is mounted on stiff card stock and carefully shaped into a desired form. Wire is used to support the flowers, which are gathered into a lovely bouquet.
Etsy