A Large Resist Dyed Furoshiki: Beautiful Graphic Image
late nineteenth, early twentieth century
51 1/2" x 51 1/2", 131 cm x 131 cm
This is a really beautiful, old resist dyed cotton furoshiki, a furoshiki being a traditional Japanese wrapping or carrying cloth.
This one is hand stitched from four lengths of cloth; in the center is a large mon or emblem, in this case a square within a circle, the square resembling a design called kuginuki, a kind of carpenter's nail extractor. The circle suggests a larger pattern of interlocking circles called shippo tsunagi.
The cotton is heavy, hand spun and hand woven. The cloth is in worn condition with nothing objectionable: it is in the condition you would expect for a cloth aged 100 years that has been used hard.
The color is a kind of medium-toned bluish-greenish: as all eyes see this range of color differently this color would have to be classified as somewhere in-between blue and green.
The undyed areas show ingrained dirt and some very faint stains, all indicated on the accompanying detail photos. There is some surface abrasion and a few patches, also illustrated here.
A wonderful, large resist-dyed furoshiki that shows a stark, graphic pattern--Japanese design at its most essential.
Recommended.