The Two Ears brand is a collaborative effort between Jonathan Lukacek and Ooe Yofukuten to create 1860’s-1880’s accurate bandannas. After a decade of collecting vintage pieces, old factory samples, and intense research, everything came together to bring this project to life in 2018.
The fabric is woven on narrow looms dating back to the 1800's with two sides of selvedge - the only bandana brand out there with this feature. The printing is all done by hand, and the sewing is all by a single operator. This entire process is done completely in Japan.
Published in 1881, “The Beef Bonanza or How To Get Rich On The Plains” brought a new wave of settlers to the West - primarily consisting of Immigrant families looking to hopefully improve their fortunes through agribusiness. These folks were outfitted for their journey and business back East, where bandannas were prominently sold and manufactured.
The Poem Bandanna takes design inspiration from American "Plains Bandannas" of the late 1800s, often worn by hard working men and women on the plains of the West. Bandannas of this era were inspired by nature so they often featured natural imagery - flowers, fruit, and animals were frequently utilized design elements.
The design for the Poem Bandanna is an excellent example of an engraved bandanna/handkerchief. Highly intensive to design, the print is first drafted in full before being broken down into individual layers - each layer is then painstakingly engraved onto a print cylinder by a master engraver one at a time. Each different color also requires its own cylinder, necessitating several different passes to achieve a detailed end result.
“Lancaster Blue” was a popular color combination during this era, possibly being influenced by “Blue Willow” trends of the same era in England. Often seen on calico cotton fabrics & chintz designs as well as on plates & tableware, the double blue (a trendy detail back in 1880) is authentically recreated with an era-accurate color combination from the time period.
The challenge of producing a perfect simple product is immense. Ooe Yofukuten are experts in this realm, and combined with Jonathan's deep knowledge of vintage bandanas, Two Ears has produced the absolute best bandana we've ever held.
- 100% cotton
- Two selvedge edges
- Two-tone blue color
- Hand-printed
- 50cm x 50cm (19.7" x 19.7")
- Made entirely in Japan
Measures 19.7" x 19.7" square