A Beautiful Large Cotton Drawstring Bag: Four Delicately Hand Drawn Tortoises

ca. late nineteenth century
9" x 14" x 14", 23 cm x 35.5 cm x 35.5 cm

This is a large sized drawstring bag that is completely hand stitched from panels of hand woven, grey dyed cotton--there are four exquisitely and delicately rendered tortoises which decorate the bag.

Each of the four tortoises portrayed on the bag is basically a small hand drawn painting.  The outline of the tortoise has been resisted when the grey color of the bag was dyed, leaving a white "blank" area.  Into this blank area, a textile artist brushed in an extremely deft, intricate and delicate portrayal of a tortoise, embellishing it with greenish and orange-ish tones to add volume, light and visual interest.  Each of the four tortoises is a tight little, very good drawing unto itself.

The green dyed, thick cotton drawstring seems original to the bag and all the drawstring's loops are intact.

There is some wear and patina to the grey dyed cotton, especially to the bottom panel where there is light scuffing and staining, picture in the accompanying detail photos.

A really lovely thing with beautiful artistic flair.