A Length of Kasuri Cotton: Checks and Pictures

ca. early twentieth century
54" x 13 1/4", 137 cm x 33.5 cm

What a lovely piece of old, hand woven kasuri or ikat cloth which was likely taken from a futonji or a futon cover.

It is beautiful to see the three, bold passages of white-on-blue kasuri plaid between which are two fields of indigo cloth which are decorated with weft kasuri pictures, in this case some kind of distorted flower form, most likely a peony--or maybe a camellia.

The contrast between the boldly graphic checks and the delicacy of the flower forms is just lovely.

The color is still deep blue, although there is some surface patina.  On the reverse of this length there is one applied mending patch, a vestige of which can be seen on the proper face of this cloth.

A wonderful and unusual length of kasuri woven cotton.