A Length of Hand Spun Hand Woven Cotton: Cranes and Karakusa

late nineteenth century
53" x 12 3/4", 134.5 cm x 32.5 cm

This is a wonderfully designed old length of katazome dyed cotton that shows a repeat pattern of cranes rendered as roundels set against a background of arabesque.

One of the attractive characteristics of this length, aside from the obvious beauty of the pattern, is the wonderful thread integrity: the cotton yarns are hand spun and this subtle texture adds to the beauty of old folk textiles.

Cranes in Japan symbolize a wish for a long life and because they mate for life, cranes are also symbols of conjugal fidelity. This length was undoubtedly taken from a futon cover that was part of a wedding trousseau.

Wonderful.