A Length of Unusual Silk Zanshi Ori: Subtle Variegated Tones

early twentieth century
65" x 12 1/2", 165 cm x 31.5 cm

Zanshi ori is cloth that is woven from threads either leftover from home production of yarn making, or from broken threads that were purchased from local commercial weavers. 

Usually the weft is fed with these random threads while generally the warp is regulated producing an irregular horizontal 'striping'; if home threads are used, knotted slubs can often be seen.

What is so interesting about this length of zanshi ori is that it is woven from heavy, rustic silk yarns which is quite unusual as almost all zanshi ori is woven from cotton.

Because the yarns are thick the weave is somewhat loose; the color tones are pale or muted so therefore the woven cloth is of a nuanced, low-contrast color palette.

The cloth is heavy, supple and drapey in the hand.

The condition is good and used and there is one exceedingly pale stain on the cloth that is barely noticeable and is probably too pale to appear on these photos. 

An interesting and beautiful length of zanshi ori which is rich in color tonal nuance and in hand texture.