A Length of Zanshi ori: Faint and Subtly Pale Toned Weft Yarns

late nineteenth century
55" x 13", 139.5 cm x 33 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.

This length of hand woven zanshi ori cotton is a good example of what was just described: it is of good weight and texture and its design is what you might consider to be "classic" zanshi ori.

Its blue-on-white design is attractive and its deep blue toned warp yarns make a bold statement against the undyed and barely-toned weft yarns which are less visually prominent than those of the warp.

The subtlety of the weft yarns is a beautiful thing to behold, and quite an unusual feature of this hand woven cotton.

A very handsome length of zanshi ori cloth with a subtle visual statement.