A Pieced Fragment from a 19th Century Yose Juban: Hand Resist Dyed Silks

mid to late nineteenth century
34" x 25", 86.5 cm x 63.5 cm

This beautifully colored and figured piece-constructed silk collage is taken from a yose juban, a pieced undergarment which was a typical style undergarment worn by women in old Japan.

The silks which compose this beautiful piece are all extremely lightweight and thin; there is very little body to them and they literally flutter in the breeze.  But each piece is wonderfully designed and executed, and they are all hand resist dyed using botanical dye material.

Twelve separate pieces of silk representing eight different patterns are hand stitched together using silk thread.  

A vibrant swath of several old silks that would be absolutely beautiful if framed, this is a wonderful textile study piece from old Japan.