A Length of Katazome Dyed Cotton: Octagons and Arabesque

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
28" x 13", 71 cm x 33 cm

This very faded length of indigo dyed cotton was made in the katazome, or stencil resist, method.

The pattern is unusual as it pairs geometry and organic forms in a novel way. There are octagons that hold stylized paulownia flowers.  Emanating from these octagons are ragged fronds of arabesque, an original iteration on this Japanese classic design.

The pattern is not flowing as most in most textile designs as there are chunks of "negative space" that are strangely shaped and a bit irregular. This is what makes this length so interesting.

The cloth is hand woven from hand spun yarns and the texture borne of this combination is rich.