A Vintage Harite and Shinshi Set: Dyer's Tools

ca. early to mid twentieth century
harite, each: 18" x 1" x 1", 46 cm x 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm

Offered here are dyer's tools.  The harite is a  hinged, wooden clamp that is affixed to each end of the cloth to be dyed or dried: each harite bears a set of sharp, nail "teeth" that grabs the end of the cloth to hold it steady.

Shinsi are very thin bamboo rods.  Each end is set with a pin.  

The length of cloth is clamped with the harite and is stretched between two points.  The shinshi are then used to keep the stretched cloth from curling onto itself.  One of the pin-set ends of the bamboo rod is jabbed into the selvedge; likewise the other pin-set ends is jabbed into the other.  This is done repeatedly all the way down the length of the cloth to keep it suspended and flat.

If you have ever seen a full tanmono or cotton or hemp kimono roll, you will have noticed that the selvedges seem stretched at regular intervals--this is the result of shinshi having been placed at these stressed areas.

A marvelous object, still very usable for weavers or dyers.