A Length of San'in Kasuri: Beautifully Distressed

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
61" x 13", 155 cm x 33 cm

This weathered and beautifully faded and distressed length of indigo dyed cotton kasuri or ikat cloth is typical of the type made in what used to be called San'in, which is now  present day Tottori Prefecture in western Honshu.   

Often in San'in kasuri you will see images such as this one: a striped background against which a weft kasuri pattern is woven.  

The cotton and the color on this piece are softened by the passage of time and from wear. There is overall fading to the piece: the original indigo color has softened to what we see now, a toned-down blue. As well, the cotton is threadbare in some areas, especially along one of the selvedges, and there are some nicks and small losses in the body of the length.

Still, these defects only add to the wabi sabi nature of this piece, wabi sabi being a Japanese aesthetic concept where the luster of beauty is conferred to a piece by the passage of time; where the quality of impermanence is the root of beauty.