A Length of Indigo Dyed Katazome Cotton: Dynamic Design

early twentieth century
34 1`/2" x 13", 87.5 cm x 33 cm

This length of indigo dyed katazome cotton is fairly light in weight and shows a large scale pattern of tortoises and cranes formed as roundels with a central starburst of a chrysanthemum.

The pattern is visually exciting--and if you look carefully you will see the images are slightly blurred.  This blurring occurs because the cloth was stenciled on both its sides and the stencils were not registered properly.  Whoever dyed this cloth did not do an excellent job but what we have here is a charmingly flawed and beautifully designed length of cloth.

Both the tortoise and the crane are symbols of long life and as such this was a popular pair of symbols and were often used on textiles, especially those which associate with weddings or the bridal trousseau.

A great riff on the traditional tortoise and crane pattern and one that catches your attention.