A Narrow Festival Rope: Stencil Resist Dyed Cotton

ca. early to mid twentieth century
200" x 2 1/4", 508 cm x 5.5 cm 

This length of rustic, indigo dyed cotton is dyed in the stencil resist or katazome method, producing sometimes blurred and irregular diagonal blue and white lines.

The cloth is thick with layers as it seems that a wider piece of cotton was folded lengthwise and hand stitched closed in order to make this narrow band of striped cotton.

It is said to be a festival rope because this kind of striped cloth was often used at temple or shrine festivals, either for cordoning off a certain area, for hanging bunting, or, at times, for leading horses.

This cloth has been been washed but it still shows ingrained dirt, which is subtle, but still quite present.  The irregularity of the striping is adds an earthy touch, which is attractive.

A lovely, quite long length of katazome cotton.