A Length of Indigo Dyed Katazome: Willow Branches and Hand Spun Cotton Yarns

early twentieth century
56" x 13", 142 cm x 33 cm

This is a length of hand spun, hand woven, indigo cotton that has been dyed in the katazome method where artisan-cut stencils are used to resist dye and create patterns on cloth.

The design here is unusual and buoyant. It shows what appear to be the long, supple branches from the willow tree set as a background for disc shaped images that could be baskets, it is hard to discern what the image is.

The cotton is of good weight and this length was resisted on both its sides, a technique employed in order to give a clearer, brighter image to the length of cloth.

Wonderfully designed and of good length and fiber quality this length of indigo dyed katazome cloth has many of the traits we look for in country cloth.