A Beautifully Patched Zanshi Length: Ikat and Leftover Silk and Cotton Yarns

early twentieth century
64 1/2" x 12 3/4", 164 cm x 32.5 cm

This is a beauty.

It is a patched length of indigo dyed zanshi cloth: zanshi is cloth woven from leftover yarns which usually produces an irregularly-spaced weft-based design as this piece does. Notice the thin, white stripes are in a random placement as they travel up the length of the cloth.

The white fiber is tsumugi silk, a kind of home processed silk yarn.

The length is studded with a beautiful assortment of various-sized patches, about eight in all. Those patches that are of kasuri dyed cotton add the most visual interest to the length as they add a sparkling or eye dazzling effect to the unintended design of this panel.

The hand woven cloth is beautifully faded and nicely worn, and this length of patched zanshi cloth--cotton and silk--is just beautiful.

Recommended.