A Length of Katazome Dyed Cotton: Fantastic Hand Spun Cotton Yarns

late nineteenth century
40" x 13", 101.4 cm x 33 cm

This is a length of indigo dyed katazome cotton that is made of hand woven cotton--the fading and wear to the length highlight the hand spun cotton yarns that give this piece its textural allure.

The length is slightly bowed from its former use. The indigo tone had oxidized to a kind of grey color. The pattern is a curious one of chrysanthemums contained within hexagons which are staggered with highly stylized four petaled flowers, perhaps melon flowers.

The surface of this length is particularly nice for its texture and for how it reveals the nature of the hand spun yarns, a characteristic that you want to see in old Japanese textiles.