Museums & Galleries Noren Octopus Curtain Design Card

Noren Octopus (Door Curtain) textile design is reproduced on this beautiful card from the Victoria & Albert range of  Museums & Galleries

Depicting an octopus, Noren (Japan, late 19th- early 20th century), is of unknown creator.

This Japanese textile is called a ‘noren’.

It would have hung at the entrance to a shop or restaurant to indicate that the establishment was open for business.

Noren, still used in Japan today, give protection against rain and dust and shade from the sun.

They also dissuade prying eyes, yet can easily be brushed aside to allow people to enter.

Noren are made from separate panels of cloth sewn together at the top.

They have simple, bold designs that suit their function as advertisements.

This noren, with its stiking octopus motif, probably hung at the entrance to a shop or restaurant specialising in seafood.

It was made of plain weave cotton, with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki).*

• Printed on gloss board, individually packaged, and complemented with a white envelope.
• Blank inside for your message.
• Size: 174 x 140mm
• Designed and printed in the UK

All Museum & Galleries cards and paper-based stationery products are printed on FSC certified paper or board.

Museums & Galleries Ltd is the UK’s leading producer of quality art cards and design-led gift stationery.

"Our collection is home to some of the most highly regarded heritage and arts brands in Britain and beyond. We also work with contemporary independent artists and emerging creative talent to source the beautiful imagery for our ranges.

Our mission is simple: to promote artistic quality and celebrate timeless style through an exclusive, unique product collection."

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*Ref: Jackson, Anna, Japanese Textiles in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London: V&A Publications, 2000, plate 86, Victoria & Albert Collections.