A Faded and Symmetrical Length of Figured Cotton: Plovers and Surf

ca. early twentieth century
54" x 12 1/2", 137 cm x 31.5 cm 

Although it appears that this length of very faded, "slightly-marred-by-overall-faintly-stained" gauzy cotton cloth was dyed in the katazome or stencil resist dyed method, it may not have been dyed that way.

If you look at the accompanying images you will see that the design of the cloth is symmetrical.  

This kind of symmetry is a feature of itajime or kyoukechi dyeing which utilized carved boards and pressure to resist cloth, but this method was likely not used.  Chusen, a technique used for dyeing tenugui also gives symmetrical results, but this technique also may not be likely.

A bit of a mystery.

But the pattern shows plovers or chidori frolicking in a vertically-oriented surf: very charming and a slightly unusual depiction of this motif.

As mentioned above, the length is very faded and it shows a faint pattern of staining overall, but it is not terribly distracting.

A curious length of old cloth.