A Beautifully Woven and Colored Panel from a Kotatsugake: Sakiori or Rag Weave

mid twentieth century
71" x 12 3/4", 180.5 cm x 32.5 cm

This is a beautifully colored and well-designed length of sakiori, a kind of weaving that uses shredded cloth for its weft yarn; sakiori is the Japanese word for rag woven textiles. 

The warp yarns are of a dark blue and grey colored twisted or twined cotton; the weft is woven of nicely toned shredded rag yarns in unusually narrow, horizontal stripes.  

This sakiori panel is taken from a kotatsugake or hearth cover for a table under which is housed a brazier.

Heavy cloth was draped over the table to contain the heat from the brazier and this heated table or kotatsu was a communal heat source for families.

Because most of Japanese homes still do not enjoy central heating a kotatsu is still a quite common fixture in Japanese homes. 

As mentioned above the overall coloration of this length is especially beautiful for its variegated, saturated tones.

Please look at the detail photos to see close ups of rag used to create the weft material--interesting to note.

Beautifully colored and nicely woven, this is a very good example of sakiori weaving.  

Recommended.