A Length of Katazome Dyed Cotton: Elaborate Traditional Design

late nineteenth century
32" x 12 3/4", 81.5 cm x 32.5 cm

This elaborately designed length of katazome dyed, hand spun, hand woven cotton shows a fancy traditional pattern of interlocking circles called shippo tsunagi which acts as a background for six petaled flowers that seem to be of an imaginary sort.

The cotton is very good for its rich texture, the result of the hand spun yarns. The color is a dulled indigo, probably dulled due oxidation and age.

The design, more than likely made in the late nineteenth century, has a kind of European Victorian feel and this might be due to the communication and the trading of design ideas between Europe and Japan at that time.

Nevertheless, this is a wonderful length of old cotton with a rich, repeat pattern of good scale and execution.