A Length of Pieced Cotton: Zanshi Ori or Leftover Yarn Weaving

early to mid twentieth century
63 3/4" x 13 3/4", 162 cm x 35 cm

Zanshi ori is cloth that is woven from threads either leftover from home production of yarn making, or from broken threads that were purchased from local commercial weavers.  Usually the weft is fed with these random threads while generally the warp is regulated producing an irregular horizontal 'striping'; if home threads are used, knotted slubs can often be seen.

This length is interesting because it is stitched of two pieces. As is evident the warp on the bolt these pieces were taken from was fixed in order to create a design of wide stripes of dark and medium-toned indigo.

The weft yarns as seen on the top of this length were leftover and were woven into or against the blue bar warp and we see this alluring pattern of remnant kasuri yarns: quite wonderful.

The length is probably woven from machine spun cotton yarns and it is lightly starched.

This is a very handsome length of old cotton that shows one aspect of the huge diversity that can be found in the category or zanshi ori or leftover yarn weaving.