ca. late Nineteenth, early Twentieth century
63 1/2" x 47 1/2", 174 cm x 121 cm

Very sophisticated and subtle in coloration and execution, this beautiful futon cover is made from a fabric called zanshi, which is a homespun fabric woven from leftover threads from spools of yarn.

Most likely all botanical dyes-- indigo and safflower (benibana) which yields a nice, soft orange color in this case--this piece shows homespun, hand woven cloth at its most frugal and inventive.

The warp threads are uniformly placed, but look carefully at the weft (left/right oriented) threads: it is obvious that there is a randomness to their progress throughout the piece, with colors and tones starting and stopping erratically.

The indigo dyed cotton backing seems to have been added after the making of this piece.

A really wonderful example of zanshi and very highly recommended.