A Length of Handwoven Kasuri Cotton: Gradient Stripes and Noshi

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
60 1/4" x 13 1/4", 153 cm x 33.5 cm

This is a length of beautifully woven and designed kasuri cotton that shows warp-oriented, gradient stripes in blue and orange. Along the length there is repeat of white noshi or bundles of dried abalone that are auspicious symbols of good luck.

The cloth was woven in the San'in region of Japan which produces a distinctive type of striped kasuri (among other types) of which this design is one of countless variations both in terms of striping and image.

The good quality and the age of this length infuse it with a visual value that can only be assessed when looking at it directly. 

Just beautiful.