A Wonderful Kurumegasuri Cotton Kimono: Checkerboard or Ichimatsu

early to mid twentieth century
shoulder to hem, sleeve tip to sleeve tip: 54" x 47", 137 cm x 119.5 cm 

This marvelous, optically entrancing woman's kimono is thickly woven of indigo dyed cotton, the indigo must have been combined with a black dye because the dark blue tone is so reduced it appears as black.

The checkerboard pattern, called ichimatsu in Japan, is stark and graphic and it is of a kind of kasuri weaving done in Kurume, an area in Kyushu known for weaving with characteristic boldness of design.

The kimono is in good, used condition with one mend to the proper, left shoulder area which is pictured on the accompanying detail photographs.

As mentioned earlier this kimono is hand stitched of fairly heavy weight cotton, it is not lightweight like shirting fabric or like you might find on a summer yukata. If you look at the detail photographs here you will notice the texture of the cloth and you can understand the weight of the fabric.

An eye catching kimono--and one that is recommended.