A Densely Patched Two Panel Square of Omi Jofu: Hemp or Ramie Kasuri

early twentieth century
29 1/2" x 24 1/2", 75 cm x 62 cm

Omi jofu, the beautifully woven hemp or ramie cloth from a place which was called Omi in Shiga Prefecture, is one of the finest natural fiber textiles woven in Japan.

The individual yarns are hair-thin and this produces an almost silky finished cloth, which is usually dyed in the kasuri method, as we see here.

This is a two-panel piece of Omi jofu that is heavily patched and looks wonderful back lit as we can see in the accompanying photo which details this effect.

This particular two-panel piece was culled from a garment and, that said, the very generous patching and mending was done over time.

The indigo dye has softened or oxidized over time to a steel blue tone and the softly rendered pattern on the cloth shows what seem to be folding fans and hexagons, the hexagons are a short hand for tortoiseshell which conveys a wish for a long life.

This is a beautiful, translucent, patched and mended textile.