A Beautiful Length of Striped Cotton: Varied Colored Weft Yarns

mid twentieth century
63" x 14", 160 cm x 35.5 cm 

This is a very handsome length of hand loomed cotton cloth which seems not to have been used.

The design is based on three, bold, warp-based verticals in white cotton yarn; the weft shows stripes of regular, alternating width.  However, the color of some of the weft yarns changes as it goes up the length:  at the base are greenish colored weft yarns which alternate with deep indigo, further up the indigo weft alternates with a warm brown color, while at the top of the length the deep indigo alternates with white.

This color change is likely due to the fact that leftover yarns may have been used as weft material, and this color change is hard to discern at first, but when it is noticed, it is quite lovely.

A hand loomed cotton of good weight and very good condition, this cloth was probably destined to be stitched as a futon cover.

A lovely piece of zanshi ori, or leftover thread weaving.