A Very Long Thick Cotton Noren: Resist Dyed Kanji

ca. late nineteenth, early twentieth century
116" x 13", 295 cm x 33 cm

This very long, very rustically hand woven cotton noren--a traditional shop sign/curtain--is very reminiscent of old Japan.

The cotton is decidedly hand spun and hand woven; it is thick and slubby as can be seen in accompanying detail photos.  The selvedge is beautifully irregular and the color is a deep, warm brown; the surface shows quite a lot of patina from age and from wear.  

Hand stitched to the top of the noren are ten tabs, all intact, and each with its original brass ring still attached.   The two kanji or Chinese characters, are stencil resist dyed.

Please pore over the detail photos on this posting: this extremely long old noren has well-preserved over time, yet it is not crippled by its years of service and its decades of storage.

A handsome, well-made old textile from traditional Japan.