ca. early to mid twentieth century
52 1/2" x 13 1/2", 133 cm x 34 cm

What a beautifully tactile piece of hand loomed cloth.  Zanshi is the name of a kind of cloth woven from leftover yarns and it is one of our favorite Japanese folk textiles.   In this case, this zanshi cloth is woven from a combination of cotton with hand spun silk yarns, the homespun silk is what  gives the cloth a stiff, papery feel.

With the exception of the bright red accents in the cloth, the rest of the yarns are dyed in botanical dyes.  Pay attention to the weft yarns--the ones in the left/right direction--and notice that these yarns are the leftover threads which yield a random pattern.

This length of cloth is constructed from three pieces which are sewn together by machine.  The dark blue indigo cotton patch is hand stitched.

Gorgeous, beautiful and very recommended.