はじまりは、昆虫をモチーフにした何かを身に付けたいと思ったこと。

自然の中でひっそりと生きる彼らのように、強い主張を発するでもなく、ただ優しく、そっと寄り添うようなデザインにしたかったこと。

そして虫をかたどった何かを描くのなら、その傍らには植物の存在が必要不可欠であったこと──。

虫と植物を表現する手段として刺繍を選んだとき、幸運にも、この世には蚕が生み出した糸が存在し、草木や花が恵んでくれる豊潤な色彩がありました。

植物を使った染色方法は、世界中で紀元前から行われており、日本では縄文時代にはその技術が存在していたと言われています。

飛鳥・奈良時代には大陸から本格的な染色技術が伝来し、平安・鎌倉時代には位階を示す色として尊ばれ、平安時代には100種類以上の繊細な色名と技法が確立しました。明治時代に化学染料が大量に輸入される前までは、染色といえば植物の色素を抽出して行われるものでした。

古来の日本において幾つもの伝統色名が生み出された背景には、豊かな四季とそれを唄に詠む情緒、そして植物染料だけが持つ色彩の多重構造が深く関わっていたのでしょう。

草木染めに、ひとつとして同じ色はありません。ひとつの植物の中には、最初に溶け出す色、幾度も煮出してようやく姿を現す色など、無数の色素がひっそりと重なり合って存在しています。

そのため、同じ植物を染料にしても、抽出のタイミングや手仕事のわずかなゆらぎによって引き出される色は異なり、常に一期一会の出会いとなります。自然の複雑さをそのまま写し取った色彩には、滋味深い奥行きが宿っています。

むしとたねでは、なるべく光に強い染料を吟味しながらも、その移ろいをあらかじめ織り込んだうえで作品を仕立てています。

お手元に届いたばかりの初々しい色彩も、陽の光を浴びて深みを増した頃の佇まいも、そして私自身まだ見たことのない、遥かな時を経てアンティークへと育った姿も──生きた素材だからこそ、持ち主の人生に馴染み、形を変えて寄り添い続ける。

そのすべての瞬間が愛おしいと思えるような、ともに時を重ねる作品をお届けできればと願っています。

It all began with a desire to wear something featuring an insect motif.

I wanted a design that, much like these creatures living quietly in nature, does not make a strong statement, but rather gently and softly stays close to you.

And if I were to depict something in the shape of an insect, the presence of plants alongside it was indispensable...

When I chose embroidery as the medium to express insects and plants, fortunately, this world held threads created by silkworms, and the rich colors bestowed by trees and flowers.

The method of dyeing with plants has been practiced worldwide since ancient times, and it is said that this technique existed in Japan as early as the Jomon period.

During the Asuka and Nara periods, authentic dyeing techniques were introduced from the continent. In the Heian and Kamakura periods, colors were revered as symbols of social rank, and during the Heian period, over 100 delicate color names and techniques were established. Until synthetic dyes were imported in large quantities during the Meiji era, dyeing inherently meant extracting pigments from plants.

The creation of numerous traditional color names in ancient Japan was likely deeply connected to our rich four seasons, the sensibility of composing poetry about them, and the multilayered color structures unique to botanical dyes.

In botanical dyeing, no two colors are ever exactly the same.

Within a single plant, countless pigments exist quietly overlapping one another—colors that dissolve first, and colors that only reveal themselves after being simmered multiple times.

Therefore, even when using the same plant as a dye, the colors drawn out will vary depending on the timing of extraction and the subtle nuances of handwork, always resulting in a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. These colors, which capture the very complexity of nature, harbor a profoundly rich and quiet depth.

Botanical dyes do not possess a flashy brilliance. Instead, they offer a profound warmth like sunlight filtering through the trees, a clear crispness like a pristine stream, the rich depth of ripe fruit, the softness of trodden earth, and the endless quiet of a deep night. They offer a collection of gentle colors that bring the comforting, soul-cleansing sensation of being in touch with nature.

Nature is constantly circulating and ever-changing. Botanical dyes, too, transform as the days and months go by. Some colors fade when exposed to light, while others deepen. Some change not just in shade, but in the hue itself—these transitions are infinitely diverse. I believe this shifting of colors is another hidden charm of botanical dyes.

At mushi to tane, while we carefully select dyes with high lightfastness, we tailor our creations by embracing this inevitable transition as part of the design.

The pristine colors when they first arrive in your hands; their presence when they have quietly deepened after bathing in the sunlight; and the appearance they will take as they grow into antiques over a distant time that even I have yet to see. Precisely because they are living materials, they blend into the owner's life, adapting and staying close by your side. We hope to deliver pieces that allow you to layer time together, where every single moment can be cherished.