A Length of Tsutsugaki Dyed Cotton: Rustic

early twentieth century
63" x 13", 160 cm x 33 cm

This is a curious length of indigo dyed tsutsugaki cotton: it is curious for its amateurish look--the unsure lines and the rustic drawing.

Why is this tsutsugaki like this? Was it made by an apprentice? Was it made by a very old artist whose age stole former skills? The unevenness of the lines and the amateurish drawing seem to indicate that this was done by someone learning the art of tsutsugaki and with that in mind this length becomes even more charming to consider.

We will never know what level of artisan made this but there is something delightful in this seemingly unschooled portrayal of stylized flowers and the tangled arabesque that is its foil.

The indigo is of a very deep, rich blue. The design is strangely beautiful.

A lovely--and unusual--length of folk tsutsugaki dyeing.