A Wide Piece of Large Scale Shibori: Broad Dappling

mid twentieth century
48 1/2" x 26", 123 cm x 66 cm

This is a piece of shibori dyed cotton: the cotton is commercially loomed and much wider than the traditional Japanese hand loomed cloth which is usually about 13" or 33 cm in width. The dye is more than likely synthetic indigo.

The lightweight cotton cloth is finished by machine stitching at the two short ends as it seems to have been--possibly--used as a koshimaki, a kind of undergarment.

The shibori dapples are large and crowded, some of them with indigo blooms inside them, some of them are blanks.

The overall pattern is nicely random and lush--and might suggest water or rain.

This is a good-sized piece of hand tied shibori and a handsome one at that.