A Repurposed Tsutsugaki Textile: Furoshiki

ca. early to mid twentieth century
56" x 59", 142.5 cm x 150 cm

This is a beautiful, large indigo dyed cotton textile, clearly repurposed, and configured into a square shape--it was used as a furoshiki or a traditional wrapping or carrying cloth.  With a furoshiki of this large size--and it was used as we can see by the slightly crimped four corners--it was probably used to bundle and store items.

The cloth, a heavy cotton, was repurposed from a futon cover, most likely.  It is dyed in the tsutsugaki or hand drawn resist method and shows a fractured family crest of three diamonds and an equally fractured rendition of a beautifully gnarled, old and regal pine tree.

The five panels are machine stitched together, as is the finishing on the top and bottom edges.

Both front and back of this beautiful textile are shown in the accompanying photos as the proper back of this cloth shows about 8 - 10 patches.  It is up to you to determine which is the more attractive side.

A really appealing old cloth, and one with high graphic appeal.