A Curious Piece of Woven Striped Cotton: Indian Motif

vearly to mid twentieth century
26 1/4" x 26 3/4", 66.5 cm x 68 cm

Indian trade cloth, called sarasa in Japan, held a kind of fascination for the upper echelon of society during the Edo period (1603-1868) and this exotic, imported cloth was collected by the wealthy ruling families at the time. 

The interest in trade cloth continued on well into the 20th century and its popularity grew even after Japan left its feudal style government and entered the modern age. Many Japanese-made interpretations of Indian cloth were made in Japan, notably in Sakai, Osaka and Nagoya where riffs on this historical cloth were created for Japanese domestic consumption.

This is a particularly interesting piece because on the left hand side we see a woven stripe while on the right hand side we see a typical type of Indian trade cloth motif that was made for consumption in Southeast Asia. It seems this patterned design was somehow hand stenciled or hand applied to the cloth.

This piece, with its woven and figured cloth in one length, is similar to some historical Indian examples where woven checks and hand drawn designs coexist on one textile.

In good used condition with a few faint stains on the striped side. The top and bottom are machine finished.