A Length of Katazome Dyed, Faded Cotton: Realistic Wood Grain Pattern

early to mid nineteenth century
71" x 13 1/4", 180.5 cm x 33.5 cm

This length of katazome dyed cotton is very unusual for its pattern of realistically drawn woodgrain.

Such a faithful rendition of something found in nature is rare in Japan as Japanese artists and artisans are known to create abstracted or stylized versions of anything found in the natural world.

The length is hand stitched from two pieces. Important to note is that there are ingrained creases and fading to the top of the length; the center area shows little of the pattern, and there are a few nicks and very small holes to the piece.

Still, the subtlety of the pattern and the unusual depiction of the wood grain make this length a very interesting thing to look at and, if you are a collector, this realistic depiction of wood grain might enrich your collection.

The grey tone is also slightly unusual for katazome dyeing and it could be the result of using sumi or ink as the dyestuff.

Recommended.New@Sri