A Sakiori or Ragweave Obi: Restrained Color and Black Warp

ca. mid twentieth century
121" x 6 1/4", 307 cm x 16 cm

This is a lovely sakiori obi, or a rustic, traditional kimono sash that is woven using shredded cloth as its weft yarn.

The warp yarns are of black dyed cotton and the weft yarns are fairly evenly spaced bars in colors of off-white, dappled orange-red, dappled green and red, and, on about 1/3 of the piece, the dappled green and red gives way to a dappled red and pink banding.  

This lovely obi is in good, used condition.  There is, however, an 1" or 2.5 cm snag to the warp yarns half-way into the obi, but this flaw does not distract from the beauty of the whole piece.

A beautiful, elegant folk textile.