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Leather Tabi - himo tabi - NO HOOKS, NO VELCRO!

Achim Steigert

Shinobi no Mono
12 Nov 2013
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Leather tabi? Himo tabi! (窶「R窶伉ォ窶佚?

Tabi appear to have originated in the Nara period and became popular with the buke class during the Kamakura period . Some early tabi appear to have been made from dyed leather with the himo used to close them being dyed a contrasting colour. For example. In the early Edo period, violet tabi with red or blue himo were fairly popular. Later, tabi were made out of linen and simmilar fibres.

Very much so, printed leather tabi became almost a standard for the buke in the Kamakura period and remained so until the edo period.
Of examples I have seen the color primarily encountered is indigo frequently with a pale or white design printed on. I have not been able to find out what kind of leather was used, (Cattle, pig, deer, dog, goat, horse....) but it appears to be a thin leather and from damaged examples it looks to be of a dense fiber like deerskin backs, but this can also be influenced by the tanning process) I have not gotten to handle more than a couple (Field Museum in Chicago) and quite a few from photograph, but it seems rare to find purposefully contrasing himo, the few I have seen that are contrasting are simple natural color silk or linen ties (textile, not sure what kind) or soft leather in a natural or bleached color. (off white) I do not know if the difference of what himo I have seen and you have seen is simply a matter of different periods, different social status (rich people had fancy multi-colored ones) or the ones I saw were simple field boots. (A few bore the marks and damage of those plate and chain foot defenses) Interestingly at the field museum they had one badly damaged one that was actualy 2 tabi, one inside a quite larger one with fiber and (I am assuming) rice straw stuffed between. Maybe a winter/cold weather boot?

Anyhow, the main point is yes leather ones were used, and apparently quite popular with both upper and lower means samurai from the kamakura-momoya periods.

http://www.shinobiya.de/media/images/popup/himotabi2.jpg

Now... the problem...
I'm looking for really traditional himo tabi, type end of sengoku jidai up to early Edo jidai...
Where can I get those?
 
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