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*Hemp was used in a variety of ways in Ryûkyû, as it was in Japan. One form of hemp textile used to make curtains or banners, and often presented as an emblematic Ryukyuan local product as a gift to foreign elites, was called Taiheifu, or Taihei cloth, after a place known as Taihei.<ref name=tomo150/>
*Hemp was used in a variety of ways in Ryûkyû, as it was in Japan. One form of hemp textile used to make curtains or banners, and often presented as an emblematic Ryukyuan local product as a gift to foreign elites, was called Taiheifu, or Taihei cloth, after a place known as Taihei.<ref name=tomo150/>
*''[[Tonbyan]]'', made from the fibers of a variety of agave plant from [[Fujian province]], was used to make translucent white fabrics. Though knowledge about the production of this material was lost in World War II, recent research has revealed new insights.<ref>"The Lost Textile of Ryukyu," NHK World TV program, 7 Nov 2020.[https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/worldprime/20201107/3004681/]</ref>
*A number of other types of textiles, such as felt or woolen cloth (J: ''rasha'') and silk crepe (J: ''chirimen''), were not produced in Ryûkyû but were imported from China and given as gifts (or "[[tribute]]" goods) to the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], [[Shimazu clan]], or other prominent figures.<ref name=tomo150/>
*A number of other types of textiles, such as felt or woolen cloth (J: ''rasha'') and silk crepe (J: ''chirimen''), were not produced in Ryûkyû but were imported from China and given as gifts (or "[[tribute]]" goods) to the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], [[Shimazu clan]], or other prominent figures.<ref name=tomo150/>
===Aristocratic Costume===
===Aristocratic Costume===
::''Main article: [[Ryukyuan court costume]]''
[[File:Ryukyu-official.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A man in the costume of a [[scholar-aristocracy of Ryukyu|scholar-aristocrat official]], with purple (First or Second Rank) ''[[hachimaki]]'']]
[[File:Ryukyu-official.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A man in the costume of a [[scholar-aristocracy of Ryukyu|scholar-aristocrat official]], with purple (First or Second Rank) ''[[hachimaki]]'']]
The colors and types of materials worn by aristocrats indicated their rank. This was seen especially in the colors of the ''[[hachimaki]]'' (court cap or turban) and court robes, and in the material (gold or silver) used to make hairpins. A summary of the significance of colors in the court costume of male officials is included in the description of [[Ryukyuan court ranks]].
The colors and types of materials worn by aristocrats indicated their rank. This was seen especially in the colors of the ''[[hachimaki]]'' (court cap or turban) and court robes, and in the material (gold or silver) used to make hairpins. A summary of the significance of colors in the court costume of male officials is included in the description of [[Ryukyuan court ranks]].