Mizuhiki - Japanese epic macrame

Mizuhiki is an ancient Japanese art of weaving and tying paper cords (washi paper) into elegant and complicated knots, decorations, patterns, or even shapes. It’s kind of like macramé, but more epic.

Some of the mizuhiki pieces are created and used to be used in specific ceremonies (like weddings), and have a very specific symbolism behind them.

Here are some of the examples that I found around the net:

Kinusaiga - silk mosaic

I was unable to find any information about this Japanese art or recycling old kimonos into silk paintings. The technique, from what I understand involves creating a painting, and transferring the sketch on a wooden panel. After that, selecting the colors of silk pieces, and cutting slivers of it to fill in the image.

The wooden panel then gets thin slits alongside the various details of the picture. the slivers of silk, then, are carefully wedged in those slits, "coloring" the panting". Sounds pretty lengthy work, but the result is amazing. The painting takes on a very unusual texture and clarity of detail. Precise and delicately beautiful, much like Japan itself.