A Jazzy Sashiko Stitched Resist Dyed Pad: Diaper or Zokin
ca. early to mid twentieth century
22 1/2" x 11 1/4", 57 cm x 28 cm
What a beautiful, complex and eye-dazzling cloth.
This rectangular-shaped cotton cloth is comprised of about four layers, the topmost which we can see in the accompanying photos shows a fabulous pattern: the softly worked black-on-white repeat pattern is a the convergence of two traditional Japanese design motifs, the hemp leaf or asa no ha and the grain measure box or masu.
Most likely this design was applied to the cloth using the chusen method, a type of stencil application that uses a vacuum to pull color through layers of cloth: traditional tenugui were made in using this technique.
The four or so layers of cloth are hand stitched together with a wonderful sashiko pattern: diagonal lines in two directions over a grid. Really, really lovely. As is quite evident from the accompanying photos to this post, the proper, lower right hand corner of the cloth has been torn away.
Note as well the two, black, cotton loops at the top of the cloth. These loops indicate that this cloth may have once been a diaper.
Really lovely, and recommended.