A Length of Jishiro Katazome: Hexagons and Chrysanthemums

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
28 1/4" x 12 3/4", 71.75 cm x 32.25 cm

This length of katazome cotton with its softly design is dyed as blue-on-white or jishiro, a less-seen type of katazome dyeing that the white-on-blue.

The design has faded into a lovely pale grey-blue tone: it shows a large-scale hexagon pattern that contains a chrysanthemum and is bordered by a chain of stylized chrysanthemums.

The design beautifully balanced and there is an embedded conveyance of good fortune in that the hexagon is a stand-in for the tortoise shell or a wish for a long life.

Wonderful not only for its design but also for its very good quality, hand spun cotton yarns.