A Length of Warp Based Kasuri with a Large Zanshi ori Section: White Noise
early twentieth century
67" x 13 1/4", 170 cm x 33.5 cm
This is a length of pieced cotton, the top part of which is a an unusual version of zanshi ori, unusual because both the warp and the weft use leftover yarns: these yarns seem to be hand spun.
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.
The visual randomness created by this field of leftover warp and weft yarns is beautiful in its lack of focus.
This broken field of white blips is in very attractive pairing with the bottom section of the length which is of a warp-based kasuri cotton, the narrow, white and blue vertical lines that compose its design is a type of pattern not often seen and in good relation to the zanshi ori.
This is a wonderfully subtle length of indigo dyed cotton with two equally interesting sections.