A Pieced Length of Zanshi Ori: Left Over Yarn Weaving

early twentieth century
74" x 13 1/2", 188 cm x 34 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 particularly beautiful for its unusual colors, the "candy colored" stripes of its warp yarns.

The length is hand stitched from four distinct pieces that come from the same bolt. By having these four different pieces from different parts of the bolt we see very clearly the variety in the density and random patterns formed by the leftover yarns which feed the weft. 

There is a good-sized patch of the same cloth as the base which is attached to the center, right hand side of the length

A very good length of zanshi ori and one whose colors are so unusual and playful that this length is desirable for this quality.

Delightful.