A Shibori Koshimaki: Shape Resist Dyed Under Kimono

early to mid twentieth century
29" x 44", 74 cm x 111.5 cm

This indigo dyed shibori garment is a koshimaki or a kind of Japanese half-slip to be tied around the waist and worn under a kimono.

The cotton is of good quality and it is commercially loomed of a width greater than is  traditional for Japanese textiles. One of its two ties is intact, albeit a bit tattered and fragile.

A central panel of plain cotton is hand stitched to the center of the proper back of this piece. This is to protect the seam in that area from splitting--the koshimaki  was held behind the wearer and drawn to the front of the body where the ties were secured. The central reinforcement helped keep the koshimaki from splitting in that area as it would have been stressed by the normal, everyday actions of the wearer.

This is a very nice example of an unusual pattern in shibori dyeing and even better that it is presented as an intact garment.

There is a good amount of shibori dyed cotton that can be enjoyed as-is or harvested and put to use in another project, much in the spirit of the Japanese practice of use and re-use of materials.