京繍 (Kyō-Nui)
Kyō-Nui (京繍 — Kyoto embroidery) is the court embroidery tradition of Kyoto — producing the embroidered elements of Noh costume, Buddhist vestments, and formal kimono accessories in silk and gold thread on silk ground cloth. The Kyoto tradition is distinguished from Chinese Su embroidery (CRAFT-0316) by its use of hira-nui (平繍 — flat stitch) and koma-nui (こま繍 — couched metallic thread) in combination to produce three-dimensional relief within the same composition, and by the nunome-zuri (布目刷り) ground preparation — a specific sequence of ground fabric preparation that changes the silk's surface to hold embroidery thread at precise angles. A defining characteristic is the use of 'color gradation' (ぼかし bokashi) within single motifs — a shading technique where thread colors shift within one petal or leaf using split-stitch gradation in the opposite direction from Chinese shading.
Risk level: Endangered · Japan national Important Intangible Cultural Property (embroidery techniques)
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