A Wide Piece of Katazome Cotton: Magical Rain Capes

early twentieth century
38" x 17 3/4", 96.5 cm x 45 cm

Although this cloth, a lightweight cotton which is machine spun and woven, is not hand woven there is good age to this indigo dyed katazome cloth. 

The spare repeat design is interesting for its images which are made almost entirely of dots. 

The pattern is that of small squares each that contain a traditional image--cloves, counterweights, Buddhist flaming pear, money pouch to name a few.

But the star of the show is the winged image which is in fact a magical rain cape that affords the wearer the power of invisibility; this is a mythical Japanese concept and the image is sometimes seen on Japanese design.

The lightweight cloth shows overall fading and a fair number of areas of faint staining, and several small holes--the detail photos accompanying this post attempt to illustrate these issues.

Please note as well there is a cotton tab still hand stitched to one corner of this piece indicating that it was a koshimaki or a half-under kimono.