A Length of Old and Beautiful Katazome Cloth: Hand Spun Yarns

mid to late nineteenth century
26" x 14 1/4", 66.5 cm x 36 cm

This is a length of old katazome dyed cotton that shows good indigo color on marvelous hand spun, hand woven cloth.

The pattern seems to be filigreed, with delicate and imaginative renderings of fancifully designed cherry blossoms that are made of hybrid images. The cloth is tinged with orange color, the result of a pigment based dye called bengara, which is derived from iron oxide.

The cloth is faded in such a way as to beautifully expose its hand spun yarns: the delicacy of the color tone in combination with the delicacy of the repeat pattern make this length of katazome cloth something of a confection.

Note one soybean-sized hole, shown.

Just beautiful.