A Length of Picture Kasuri: Wishes for a Long Life

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
60 1/2" x 13 1/4", 153.5 cm x 33.5 cm

What a beautiful length of old, indigo dyed kasuri cotton of the type made in San'in, a region in Japan which produced this kind of striped, imaged kasuri cotton.

The indigo tone is rich and the cloth is hand woven. The images are delightful and they change down the length, but the all speak of the wish for a long life.

There are two pairs of tortoises and cranes.  According to a Japanese proverb the crane lives a thousand years, the tortoise, ten thousand so this pairing of crane and tortoise bestows a wish for longevity.

Also we see an image of noshi and a shrimp. Noshi is dried abalone strips that are symbols of celebration and good fortune while the shrimp--like the crane and tortoise--wishes a long life. The explanation? The shape of a shrimp's body is curved not unlike that of a very old person whose body has become hunched over--the thought is that may you live to such an advanced age that your body resembles the shrimp.

Additionally, as an aside, the cloth is mended with patches, three in total, and evidence of this can be seen on the surface of this kasuri cotton cloth.

Recommended.