A Tall Two Panel Resist Dyed Cotton Cloth: Butterflies and Faux Shibori

mid twentieth century
79" x 22 1/2", 201 cm x 57 cm

This is a very generous length of cloth that, although it is made of a traditional resist dyeing technique, might not be terribly old; it probably dates to the mid twentieth century or slightly a bit older.

The panels show a repeat pattern of large-scale faux shibori over which there is a field of naturally rendered butterflies in flight: such naturally rendered butterflies were hardly seen in before the mechanized era and this is a clue to judging its age.

The two panels are stitched in the center in an unusual way and this is seen on the detail photo that accompanies this post. A small bit of the original plaid cloth affixed to the top is still intact here.

This is a very good amount of old cloth that is delightful to look at and shows a kind of visual levity.