A Fragment of Old Katazome Dyed Cotton: Beautiful Hand Spun Threads

mid to late nineteenth century
18 3/4" x 12 1/4", 47.5 cm x 31 cm

This fragment of faded, hand spun, gauzy cotton katazome cloth practically breathes the air of the era long ago when it was made, probably the middle of the 1800s.

The essential qualities of this cloth--the hand spun yarns, the hand weaving, the style of repeat pattern, the dyes used and the general "feeling" of the piece--convey the richness and history of its age especially to those familiar with antique Japanese folk textiles.

This point is brought up because it is this intangible quality that adds so much to this fragment.

Yes it is faded, yes there are snags to the cloth (seen in photos here) but more than that we have here a beautifully aged piece of cotton with a lovely, fairly unusual design of faintly colored stylized tree and plant forms floating on a mottled ground of brick color. The dyes used here, all being botanical, have been affected by light and wear.

Such an unusual and beautiful fragment of cloth begs to be admired for what it is; this is a powerful relic from a former age in traditional Japan.

Recommended.