Toshiko Taira (平良 敏子, Taira Toshiko, 14 February 1921 – 13 September 2022) was a Japanese textile artist who was based in Okinawa. She created kijōka-bashōfu, a cloth made from the fibre of the Musa basjoo, otherwise known as the Japanese fibre banana plant. Taira became a designated Living National Treasure of Japan in 2000.

Biography

Taira was born on 14 February 1921 in Ōgimi. As a child, she learned to weave cotton and kijōka-bashōfu from her mother. ^{[1] [2]} In 1944, Taira worked at a spinning mill in Kurashiki, Okayama. ^[3] At the encouragement of the mill's owner, Soichiro Ohara, she began to study under Kichinosuke Tonomura, the head of a folk art museum. ^[4] During this time she was heavily influenced by the mingei movement. ^[5] When she returned to Okinawa in 1946 she found that many of the banana trees had been cut down or died, ^[3] and was determined to revitalize both the trees and the art of kijōka-bashōfu. ^[6]

After World War II, for kimono made from kijōka-bashōfu fell; Taira began to make table runners and cushions from coarse bashōfu plant fibers, but was criticized for bringing down the quality associated with kijōka-bashōfu. ^[7] Following this, Taira began to work more frequently with finer bashōfu fibers. ^[7] During this period, Taira also held some exhibitions of her work. Taira opened a bashōfu textile studio in 1963 and hired some local weavers in order to centralize and increase her production. ^{[1] [7]}

Kijōka-bashōfu was designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1974. The Kijoka Basho-fu Industrial Cooperative Association was established in 1984, and in 1986, the Ogimi Village Bashofu Hall opened and began offering training. ^[5] In 2000, Taira was recognized as a Living National Treasure. ^[8] In 1992 and 2002 she was awarded an Order of the Precious Crown. ^[1]

Several museums hold her works in their collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art ^[8] and the British Museum. ^[9]

Taira turned 100 on 14 February 2021, ^[10] and died on 13 September 2022, at the age of 101. ^[11]

References