A Double Arashi Patched Fragment: Handspun Cotton

ca. late nineteenth century
50" x 12", 127 cm x 30.5 cm

This is a marvelous, old length of hand spun, hand woven Japanese cotton, whose threads are rich in texture and contain the ito aji or thread flavor that is prized by Japanese in old textiles.

The color, too, is rich and the dyeing technique is beautiful.  The cloth's base color is a pale, sky or robin's egg blue which is referred to in Japan as asagi.  Over this lightly dyed indigo base is an attractive diamond lattice of a double shibori process, perhaps arashi.  Really, really lovely.

By the notch to the middle of this length we can tell this piece was taken from a garment; most likely this cloth was once part of a han juban or a half under kimono.  There are three patches to this length and some faint, mottled staining which is unobtrusive and does not impede the appreciation of this cloth.  The patches are of the famous, small figured 19th century cloth called Edo komon.

Really beautiful and recommended.