A Very Large Hand Spun Cotton Resist Dyed Textile: Re-fashioned Curtain

late nineteenth century
64" x 64 1/2", 162.5 cm x 176.5 cm

This very large, resist dyed cloth is hand stitched from hand spun, hand woven cotton yarns. It seems to be two partial futon covers that have been stitched together to create one, large piece.

Curious is that on the top edge are a few hand-sewn loops which indicate that at some point this might have functioned as some kind of curtain or bunting.

The quality of the woven cloth is beautifully thick and textured from the home spun yarns. The dye is of a grey tone, maybe charcoal-based ink was used to dye it.

The centrally placed, double image is that of a chrysanthemum stylized as a family crest. As is clear from the detail photos that accompany this post there is some scuffing and staining to the cloth, and there also are some nicks and tears, all of which have been attempted to be shown here.

This is a very large piece of cloth that could easily be used transformed into something else, if you posses the whim and the hand skills.