Tonbyan

• Japanese: 桐板 (tonbyan)

Tonbyan is a textile used in historical Okinawan garments. Though used until the early 20th century, knowledge of the source of the materials was lost during World War II. Recent research suggests that the source of tonbyan fibers is likely a type of agave plant from Fujian province known in Chinese as Lóng shé lán 龍舌蘭.

References

• Gallery labels, Okinawa fukki 50 nen kinen tokubetsu ten Ryukyu 沖縄復帰50年記念　特別展「琉球」exhibit, Tokyo National Museum, 2022.