antiques | 2012 san francisco fall antiques show

san francisco has sports fever.  

the san francisco giants swept the 2012 world series to win their second baseball championship in three years.  

san francisco is also hosting another world series, the america's cup sailing race.  the competition on san francisco bay began with the fleet races in october 2012, and ends with the ac finals in september 2013.

because of all of the excitement about the america's cup, the san francisco fall antiques show chose a nautical theme for 2012. 

photo credit sffas

architect andrew skurman designed a 'sea worthy' entrance to the show, which showcased an exhibition of nautical art and antiques.  many of the exhibitors also highlighted 'sea worthy' objects. 

entrance | 2012 san francisco fall antiques show | designed by andrew skurman

photo credit lisa walsh|innerspace

since i love asian art, the waves in the entrance immediately reminded me of hokusai's the great wave, the famous japanese woodblock print from the series, thirty six views of mount fuji.

do you think that the great wave inspired skurman's design?

waves | entrance to the 2012 san francisco fall antiques show | designed by andrew skurman

photo credit lisa walsh|innerspace 

hokusai | under the wave, off kanagawa from thirty six views off mount fuji | japanese woodblock print | edo period about 1829-33 | the british museum | london, united kingdom

photo credit the british museum

the indigo seas also inspired kathleen taylor|the lotus collection to exhibit a 'sea worthy' collection of indigo textiles from japan, africa, and persia.

did you know that indigo dye doesn't turn blue until it oxidizes?  i didn't.

unlike most vegetable dyes that use a mordant (metallic salt) to affix the dye to the fabric, indigo dye uses a chemical reaction.  first, indigo leaves are fermented in a vat, which reduces the indigo into a solution.  then, the fabric is submerged into the vat without exposing the solution to oxygen. when the fabric is removed from the vat, the indigo dye oxidizes as it dries, which affixes the dye to the fabric.  during this process, the indigo dye reduces from blue to yellow, then oxidizes from yellow to green to blue.

kathleen taylor|the lotus collection | indigo seas exhibition | 2012 san francisco fall antiques show
photo credit lisa walsh|innerspace

left:  

taisho period (1912-1926) japanese indigo dyed cotton wrapping cloth (furoshiki)

center:  

mid 20th century african (mali) indigo dyed cotton panel

right: 

19th century northwest persian cotton cover (jajim) with indigo stripes

photo credits kathleen taylor|the lotus collection and kathleen taylor|the lotus collection

kaleidoscopic, don't you think?