An Irregularly-Shaped Zokin: Wavy Stitching

mid twentieth century
11 1/2" x 12 3/4", 26.5 cm x 32.5 cm

A zokin is a traditional Japanese dust cloth or cleaning rag; it is usually made from old pieces of cloth and it is usually layered and stitched for durability. 

Along with diapers, zokin are among the traditional household textiles that represent the end of the line where the re-purposing or recycling of cloth is concerned.

This zokin is fun for its irregular shape and for its wavy, free-form sashiko stitching. It is a few layers thick and has a nice, heavy texture from the sashiko work.

A wonderful zokin with an unusual shape and even more unusual stitching.