A Ball of Festival Twine: Cotton Covered Bast Fiber
$75.00 USD
ca. mid twentieth century
diameter, as shown: 8", 20.5 cm
This is a length of cotton covered bast fiber which has been twined in such as way as to become rope: three cords of covered hemp or ramie strands are twisted together to form this cording.
Each of the three strands of rope is covered in a different colored cotton: white, pale blue and dark blue cotton are the tones of cotton which create this lovely and festive cording.
Most likely this rope was used at a shrine or temple festival: it could have been used for any number of purposes, such as to hang bunting, to cordon off an area, to lead a horse, etc. This length was used hard as can be seen by the overall abrasion to the piece, which adds to its charm.
Really, really lovely.
