A Very Unusual Katazome Pattern: Tangled Ropes and Bats

late nineteenth century
45 1/4" x 13 1/4", 115 cm x 33.5 cm

The pattern on this length of old katazome dyed cotton is highly unusual as the title of this post states. It is a repeat pattern of tangled ropes within which are small images of bats because in Japan bats were viewed as conveying a wish for good luck.

The cotton cloth is wonderfully rustic as it is hand woven from hand spun cotton yarns. The overall fading and wear to this piece brings out the hand woven yarns in a beautiful way and this aspect can be seen in the detail photos that accompany this post.

The cloth itself is still fairly sturdy and the indigo used to dye it is undoubtedly botanical.

This length of katazome cloth is one to enjoy for the sheer pleasure of viewing its stunning design and there is also pleasure in knowing how rare the design of this cloth is.

Recommended.