A Thickly Woven Rustic Obi: Uneven Blocks of Stripes

early to mid twentieth century
102" x 6 1/4", 259 cm x 15.75 cm

Although at first glance you may assume that this beautifully textured, rustic obi is woven from rags or is sakiori, a closer look shows us that this is woven from thick, slubby yarns and does not use a rag weft yarn.

Still, it is beautiful.  The color is rich and the condition is very good.  What is striking about this rustic obi is its graphic appeal, the most immediate detail being the variegated blocks of weft-based stripes of uneven and variegated color and width.

The black warp yarns create a nice depth of color tone to the overall scheme. The two short ends are finished by hand.

Just beautiful, and a bit unusual in its colors and design.