A Beautiful Kasuri Dyed Indigo Cotton Jacket: Spare, Abstract, Small Scale Ikat

early twentieth century
shoulder to hem x sleeve tip to sleeve tip: 29" x 47", 73.5 cm x 119.5 cm

This indigo dyed cotton jacket is hand stitched from wonderful old kasuri cloth that was hand woven from hand spun yarns. The all-over and highly abstracted, warp and weft based kasuri is really attractive.

The cotton cloth has a marvelous texture from the hand spun yarns. The indigo is rich in tone and the lining, also of indigo, is hand stitched and of very good color.

Small details of crepe silk are stitched onto the garment between the body of it and the sleeves and this detail is shown on the accompanying detail photographs.

From the piecing on the lower areas of the front side of the hanten it seems likely that this jacket was re-purposed from another garment. If so it would have been from a kimono that was shortened to make this outer garment, something not at all unusual in former times in Japan.

Subtle and able to still be worn--and in good, used condition--this is such a beautiful old hanten.