Ra gauze with transparent design. “Takigawa”

Ra silk gauze

Ra silk gauze is a type of open leno weave in which sets of vertical warp threads are intertwined around the horizontal weft threads, producing an open fabric. Unlike plain sha gauze weaves, in which simple pairs of mated warp threads are crossed and intertwined as though to form a single warp, ra gauze weaves employ intricate systems of intertwining warps. The patterns are further complicated by also intertwining the weft threads. Ra gauze is characterized by large, open meshes with decorative patterns. The technique was transmitted from China around the seventh century and enjoyed great popularity from the eighth to tenth centuries (Nara–early Heian periods).