Kyoto's traditional textile printers.
The table in the second photograph is the length of a Tan or rather a Kimono's worth of fabric - Kimono are made from a single bolt of silk, lengths are all roughly 14 inches wide by 12.5 yards long and all traditional Japanese trouser and kimono patterns come from variations on cuts out of this single piece. The patterns remind me of Max Tilke's research on folk costumes; designs deriving from fabric widths compatible with a home loom.
The purchasing of textiles in given lengths is a similar experience to buying African or Indian textiles: no swatching. You need confidence in your buying decisions.
