An Itajime Shibori Diaper: Indigo Snowflowers

mid twentieth century
21" x 13", 53.25 cm x 33 cm

This cotton cloth measures, as shown as 21" or 53.25 cm in length, when in reality as 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" which are configured more or less along the lines of a hexagon.   

The hexagon form is important to note as it is the tortoiseshell motif, which is a symbol meaning long life, a conveyance that anyone would wish for the baby wearing this diaper.

The indigo color is beautiful and this diaper is hand stitched.  Notice the small holes and a tiny stain to the surface which are shown on the photos accompanying this post.

Really lovely.