A Beautiful Old Kasuri Cotton Furoshiki: Many Mending Patches

late nineteenth century
49" x 49", 124.5 cm x 124.5 cm

The photographs that accompany this post do not accurately convey the attractiveness and substantial age of this cloth which can undoubtedly be considered a classic Japanese folk textile: it has thread integrity, good age and rustic, subtle beauty.

Its color is something elusive to capture in photos, too, as it is a kind of mellow, deep-toned blue grey, quite rich and warm, with much more depth that these photos illustrate.

The heavy hand woven, hand spun cotton cloth is of a type that almost surely comes from the San'in region of Japan which produces distinctive pictorial kasuri cloth with a background of stripes as we see here.

The pattern is of auspicious symbols and the hand weaving of this cloth--as well as its weight--is spectacular for its design and its execution.

The surface of the inside of the furoshiki, shown in detail here, is studded with clusters of mending patches which, of course, add to the charm of this very fine and rustic wrapping cloth.

Aside from a few, small dark stains (pictured) this is in good, sturdy condition. It has been well-used during its lifetime as we can see by the distended center of the cloth which is a permanent reminder of how many times this furoshiki was pulled around a bundle of goods for transport or storage.

For anyone fortunate enough to decide to acquire this piece you will surely find this to be superior to its photos when viewed in person.

Recommended.