A Length of Handwoven Kasuri Cotton: Wonderful Mending Patches

ca. early to mid twentieth century
58" x 13", 147.25 cm x 33 cm

This is a really attractive, and rather complex, length of indigo dyed cotton kasuri or ikat.  The patterns in kasuri cloth are due to tying the yarns in selected areas before they are dyed--the tying impedes the saturation of dye into these selectively bound sections of yarn.

This length of hand woven cloth is lovely: there is an overall "windowpane" effect, these woven fenestrations are colored pale blue and pale orange, which is rather unusual, but beautiful.  Inside these grids, alternating, are white-resisted squares, the overall effect being contrasting.  Add to that, there are five mending patches, three of which are hand stitched, two of which are machine stitched (these two are at the very top of the length).

There are some very small holes and snags along the length; likely this length of cotton was taken from a yogi, a sleeping kimono, or a futon cover.

A beauty.