A Length of Rustic, Heavily Woven Hemp Cloth: Rural Stripes

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
48" x 13 1/2", 122 cm x 34 cm

This is a length of heavy, thickly woven hemp or ramie cloth that shows a pattern of evenly spaced rows of stripes. The yarns used to weave this length are thick, supple and create a durable cloth such as this one.

This is a rustic length as can be seen in the photos and more so in person when you can feel its texture. There are some simple or unobtrusive technical flaws to the piece here and there and that just adds to its charm.

Some of the folds to the piece are stubborn and are set in a bit, more than likely they will lessen and become more relaxed after the length is ironed a few more times and is allowed to lay flat for a good amount of time.

Rustic simplicity such as this piece embodies is one of the hallmarks of Japanese folk textiles.