A Length of Pale Toned Zanshi Ori: Leftover Yarn Weaving

early twentieth century
57" x 13", 145 cm x 33 cm

Zanshi ori is cloth that is woven from threads either leftover from home production of yarn making, or from broken threads that were purchased from local commercial weavers. 

Usually the weft is fed with these random threads while generally the warp is regulated producing an irregular horizontal 'striping'; if home threads are used, knotted slubs can often be seen.

This is a lovely length of old light-toned cotton zanshi ori whose weft is slightly variegated with random stripes and faint bits of kasuri yarns: there is a good amount of very subtle and nuanced variation in the weft due to the use of kasuri yarns. The color of the stripes in the warp is a deep indigo blue which alternates with white and the condition is used but stable.