A Length of Cotton Egasuri: Money Pouch in Grey Colors
early twentieth century
55" x 13 1/2", 139.5 cm x 34.25 cm
This panel of cotton cloth is taken from a larger piece, a futon cover. It is kasuri woven and shows five, wonderfully rendered and scaled money pouches equally placed along the length of this cloth. The pouch images are the result of the kasuri dyeing method, whereby the weaving yarns are tied at specific spots along the yarn before dyeing: by doing so they resist dye. Once woven, images appear due to the contrast of tones in the cotton yarns.
The images of money pouches, a symbol of abundance, are weft directional, meaning the weft yarns were resist dyed in order to produce this image.
The overall color of the length is grey: this is due to the cotton yarns being dyed in a vat of dye made from charcoal based ink (and possibly with the cloth dipped in an indigo vat at some point during the dyeing process). The length shows some subtle creases and variation in the tones of grey color: this is the result light fading of the futon cover when it was stuffed with wadding. The surface of the futon cover was crinkled so the light fading is the result of light falling upon an creased surface. Note a snag to the cotton on the bottom most pouch image.
