An Itajime Dyed Diaper: Signed

mid twentieth century
26" x 12", 66 cm x 30.5 cm

This shibori dyed cloth measures, as shown as 26" or 66 cm in length, when in reality it is twice that since this is a length of cotton that has been stitched as a "tube," short end to short end.

It is a traditional Japanese diaper and is dyed in the itajime shibori or clamp dyed method.  The cotton would have been folded in a series of triangular folds, then clamped, and then the edges would have been dyed.  The result is this field of blue on white, kaleidoscopic, six pointed "flowers."  As well there is sumi writing on the proper top of the diaper.

The indigo color is slightly faded, and there is a small hole to the cloth, difficult to see.