An Old Cotton Zabuton Cover #2: Katazome and Over Dyed Indigo

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
21" x 17 1/2", 53.5 cm x 44.5 cm

This is a cover for a zabuton, a traditional Japanese seating cushion.

It is hand stitched from hand loomed cotton: as can be seen, the central panel of the zabuton cover is a piece of very nice katazome or stencil resist cotton, the pattern being that of cherry blossoms in a field of arabesques--beautifully done.

Surrounding this fragment is a border and backing of green colored cotton: this is the result of cotton being first dyed in indigo and then over dyed in a yellow dye stuff. Please look carefully at the attendant detail photos to see that there is some ingrained dirt and faint stains to this green cotton, as well as a small hole the size of a lentil, which is not surprising to note since this zabuton cover is about 100 years old and was used in someone's home.

Note as well so loose threads to the seams.

A really charming home textile from old Japan.