A Length of Large Scale Katazome Dyed Cotton: Double Sided

early twentieth century
66" x 12 /12", 168 cm x 32 cm

This is a length of softly draping indigo dyed katazome cotton that shows a repeat pattern of a cascade of large-scale folding fans, each of which bears the image of a peony.  In between the fans is a snippet of an arabesque called karakusa in Japanese.

The playful image is seen as bright white against an inky-dark ground, the indigo dye appears to be almost black in tone. The reason for this stark whiteness is that the cloth was stenciled on both its sides, front and back, in order to achieve the highest tonal contrast possible and for the crispest image, too.

The folding fan is a Japanese invention and it holds a significant place in Japanese applied design. This length of boldly designed cotton cloth is a fine indicator that the folding fan was a treasured motif that was used in countless variations on lacquer, carvings, paintings and textiles.

Just beautiful.