A Zanshi ori-Like Rustic Obi: Variegated Browns

mid twentieth century
112" x 6 3/4", 284.5 cm x 17 cm 

This is a lovely, dark-toned sakiori obi, or a rustic, traditional kimono sash that is woven using shredded cloth--as well as some stray, other yarn--as its weft material.

What is interesting about this obi is that its design varies from one end to the other, and the design is arbitrary.

The design is the result of left over yarns being fed as weft against the fixed warp, in Japan this kind of "leftover yarn" weaving is referred to as zanshi ori.

Have a look at the detail photo here to notice the surprises in design to the piece and to see how the subtle colors change from end to end. The colors are hard to capture in a photography and they are in the brown and brown-ish purple tone.

This unusual and unusually lovely obi is in good, used condition.

A beautiful, richly toned folk textile.