A Length of Sakai Sarasa: Indian Inspired Nineteenth Century Cotton

mid nineteenth century
30 1/2" x 12 3/4", 77.5 cm x 32.5 cm

This is length of beautifully colored, stencil dyed, hand spun, hand woven cotton cloth that is meant to evoke the feeling of Indian trade cloth or sarasa.

In the Edo period, Sarasa was collected by connoisseurs of beauty in Japan who were people of great means and high social position. The fact that sarasa was imported and exotic was a lure for attraction--and add to that the mastery of hand drawn design, color and dye achieved by Indian textile artisans drew interest from Japan's elite.

Sakai sarasa, of which this is an example, is named for the Sakai area of Osaka where this type of cloth was produced.

Sakai sarasa was a kind of luxury fabric in its day and even in the present era it is considered as such in Japan.  

This length shows a complex pattern of warm-toned, stylized flowers set against a mist-like background of small dots and trailing vines.

Very recommended for its rarity and its cultural value.