A Brightly Colored Zokin: Port Wine

ca. mid to late twentieth century
9 3/4" x 13 3/4", 24.5 cm x 35 cm

A zokin is a traditional Japanese dust cloth or cleaning rag; it is usually made from old pieces of cloth and it is usually layered and stitched for durability.   Along with diapers, zokin are among the traditional household textiles that represent the end of the line where the repurposing or recycling of cloth is concerned.

This particular zokin is interesting as it seems to be a fragment of a shop sign or advertisement which is featuring "Port wine."  There are stains on this zokin, illustrated on the photos here.