WWII Imperial Japanese Nishiki Textile Book 2600th Anniversary 1939 Takashimaya

  

This is an extraordinary pre-WWII artifact: a Nishiki brocade sample album published in 1939 by the prestigious Kyoto merchant Takashimaya, commemorating the 2600th anniversary of Japan's mythical imperial founding. Privately printed (non-commercial) and compiled by Shigeo Noda, a respected historian of traditional crafts, this deluxe volume reflects how Japan, on the eve of the Pacific War, sought to link its modern imperial ambitions with ancient cultural heritage. Nishiki is Japan's most luxurious textile, historically reserved for imperial robes, shrine curtains, and elite furnishings. These are not mere patterns-they are woven symbols of hierarchy, purity, and sacred continuity. During wartime, Nishiki became part of the national narrative, used to evoke timeless loyalty and beauty.

This album was likely distributed to high-ranking military, bureaucratic, or cultural figures to promote a unified national identity grounded in traditional aesthetics. It presents both ancient motifs and Meiji-Taisho era reinterpretations, printed in rich color and annotated with scholarly commentary. It is, quite literally, a book woven with ideology. A rare chance to hold in your hands a visual archive of Japan's spiritual and aesthetic propaganda on the brink of total war. Own a Piece of History.