A Length of Rare Sakai Sarasa: Very Subtle Pattern

mid nineteenth century
32" x 13 3/4", 81 cm x 35 cm

This is length of 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 interested 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 yet subtle pattern of stylized flowers, possibly chrysanthemums, delicately rendered and set against a mist-like background of small dots. There is overall, subtle darkening to the field of pattern--the result of wear and age--and in order to illustrate this, on the detail photos here are shown the selvedge area as it contrasts with the body of the piece.

Very recommended for its rarity and its cultural value.