A Length of Stenciled Faux Shibori Cotton: Umbrellas

late nineteenth century
27" x 13 1/4", 68.5 cm x 33.5 cm 

Narumi kongata is a beautiful type of stencil resist cloth which utilizes a set of stencils that, when used in combination, yield a length of cloth that mimicked the look of shibori. Looking closely at Narumi kongata we see soft edges and shibori-like effects: these are the essential character of this complex type of stencil resist dyeing, and, as you can imagine, it requires a seasoned artisan of great skill and practice to dye this kind of cloth.

Here is a fairly short length of very good indigo dyed cotton Narumi kongata. It shows a repeat pattern of open and closed umbrellas and roundels of a faux shibori type design. These are set against a dark background that is meant to look like miura shibori, a kind of dappled tie dye technique. 

This is a beautiful length of old Narumi kongata cloth, and one with a rich and delightful pattern.

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