A Length of Katzome Dyed Cotton: Stylized Peonies

late nineteenth century
25" x 13 1/4", 63.5 cm x 33 cm

This is a length of indigo dyed katazome cotton that is beautiful not just for its repeat pattern of peonies but also for its yarns: the cloth has been woven from luscious hand spun, hand woven cotton yarns which yield a rich result.

The stylized peonies are wispy and elongated; the stems that connect them sweep in easy arcs that add visual interest to the floral pattern.

The indigo dye still looks rich and blue in tone and aside from the faint light fading you would expect from a cloth of this age the length is in very good condition.

As peonies are a fairly common theme in katazome design it is interesting to note that the depiction of these is slightly outside the norm. These are drawn with a kind of delicacy that is rare: peonies are often shown as being robust with many layers of ruffled petals.

A beauty.