A Length of Overdyed Katazome Cotton: Kanji or Chinese Characters

early twentieth century
67" x 13", 170 cm x 33 cm

This is a length of indigo dyed katazome cotton that shows a pattern of fanciful, invented flowers that are arranged against a background of arabesque, called karakusa in Japan.

What is interesting about this length, aside from the curious pattern, is that it is overdyed with Chinese characters or kanji and large symbols, a kind of logo.

Apparently the kanji suggest that the writing was from a business that rented things, or perhaps was a pawn shop. As it has no correlation to the pattern under it we have to assume that it was overdyed for some unknown reason.

More curiously, several of these panels were found which meant that they were once made into a futon cover. That said, it is very interesting that something as utilitarian as this over dyed cloth would have been fashioned into something to be used in the home.

This is a clear expression of the Japanese concept of mottainai a philosophical concept that cautions not to waste any type of resource.

A wonderfully complex length of cotton and one that is super interesting in its imagined history.