A Sekka Shibori Diaper: Intense Blue

ca. mid twentieth century
27" x 13 1/4", 68.5 cm x 33.5 cm

This crisp cotton cloth measures, as shown as 27" or 68.5 cm in length, when in reality as it is twice that since this is a length of cotton that has been stitched as a "tube," short end to short end.

It is a traditional Japanese diaper and is dyed in the itajime shibori or clamp dyed method.  The cotton would have been folded in a series of triangular folds, then clamped, and then the edges would have been dyed.  The result is this field of blue on white, kaleidoscopic, six pointed "flowers" which are configured more or less along the lines of a hexagon.  

The hexagon form is important to note as it is the tortoiseshell motif, which is a symbol meaning long life, a conveyance that anyone would wish for the baby wearing this diaper.

The indigo color is extremely vivid and intense.  In seemingly unused condition.