A Beautifully Hand Spun Cotton Sashiko Stitched Furoshiki: All Old Cloth

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
56" x 50", 142.25 cm x 127 cm

This marvelous, large hand spun, hand woven cotton sashiko stitched furoshiki really recalls old Japan for the consistency of the age and beauty of its antique cotton plaids and stripes.

The base cloth, which is a richly woven plaid is of a type that is emblematic of Meiji era Japan or before, and what is even more interesting is that all the patches used to mend this furoshiki show equal age to the base cloth, which is not always the case--often patches to old pieces are of a more recent vintage, understandably, as they were applied well into the lifetime of an old garment.

The four corners are sashiko stitched using a basic stitch and a pared-down motif. There is a hole to the lower-left hand corner of the cloth.

The tightness of the range of the type of old plaids and stripes used in this furoshiki, their coherent, old age and their colors--all the result of natural dyes--make this furoshiki a rich and beautiful vestige from a long lost era in Japan.

Recommended.