A Long Piece of Resist Dyed Cotton: Festival Stripes

ca. mid twentieth century
10 yards x 12 1/2", 9.14 m x 31.5 cm

This is a length fairly lightweight cotton that has been dyed in a resist method, either using katazome, or stencil resist, or more likely, chusen, a semi-automated resist dye method that uses air pressure to suck dye through a stack of cotton.  This cloth was almost certainly used during a matsuri, or a local festival.

The black and white alternating lines are narrow and regular along the length of this piece.  The cotton was folded along its length twice as can be seen in the creases that have been left in this now-opened cloth.  By folding the cloth in this way to make it narrow, it was probably used as a rope would be, in some kind of garlanding or festooning during a festival, whether it be to mark the parameters of a walkway, to dress a horse, or in some other way to create a celebratory air.

For a different view of this cloth, and to see it hanging in situ, have a look at our blog, here.

The cloth is probably machine loomed, but it is nice in the hand, and its condition, overall, is very good.

A really versatile and beautiful length of festival cloth.