A Stunning Sashiko Stitched Fursohiki from Niigata: Hand Spun Cotton

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
47" x 50", 119.5 cm x 127 cm

This is a marvelously stitched and designed indigo dyed cotton sashiko stitched furoshiki, a furoshiki being a traditional Japanese cloth used for wrapping, hauling and storing.

This particular piece is rather amazing for its generous hand stitched corner decorations: the sashiko stitching takes up most of the area of the furoshiki and is in very good condition despite the age of this piece and its years of use.

Each of the corners shows a different motif. Matsukawabishi or a repeat pattern of stylized pine bark is on the top, left; asanoha or the hemp leaf pattern is on the top, right; shippo tsunagi or interlocking circles is on the bottom, right; a fanciful, complex pattern sometimes seen on sashiko stitched furoshiki is on the bottom left. A family or shop name is in the center.

The cloth is distended in the center area because the furoshiki has been used over time; the center of the cloth does not lay flat.

The cotton yarns used to weave this furoshiki are seemingly hand spun which adds a marvelous texture to the piece while enhancing the indigo color of it. There is fading and wear to the furoshiki and as you can see from one of the detail photos that accompanies this posting there is a visible scuff to the center surface of the piece.

This wrapping cloth was acquired in and said to be native to Niigata prefecture in Japan's rural northeastern region called Tohoku.

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