A Very Patched and Mended Shibori Koshimaki: Half Under Kimono

This indigo dyed shibori garment is a heavily worn and equally heavily mended koshimaki or a kind of Japanese half-slip to be tied around the waist and worn under a kimono.

This particular one is made of two different types of shibori, the bottom panel being a kind of oversized spider web while the top panel shows large-scale dots with radiating, tie-dyed lines.

The base cotton is fairly light in weight and was taken from a yukata which is an unlined, casual summer kimono.

As can be seen in the accompanying detail photos, this koshimaki has been well-used and intensely mended over time. Each of its two sides shows mending--and lots of it--and the mending shows very differently on either of its two sides.

The top of the koshimaki is made of a band of solidly-dyed indigo cotton to which is attached two, narrow ties. 

This is a rather amazing piece to study for its traditional mending but more than that it is really fun to look at--its density of visual interest is a joy to behold.