Transform your space with the timeless beauty of an Antique Indigo Furoshiki, a blend of tradition and aesthetic.
This piece is from the late Meiji or Taisho era. The fabric is light and supple cotton, 4 hand woven widths make up this furoshiki. This indigo dyed cotton fabric is homespun, and you can clearly see the uneven handspun fibers used to weave the fabric in the last photo. The selvedges are also uneven. The indigo looks almost black, but with closeup observation, we can see it is deep blue, indigo blue. The pattern in the middle is most likely a family crest, a convenient and aesthetically pleasing identifying mark.
A furoshiki is a traditional Japanese square-shaped wrapping cloth used for carrying, storing, or gifting items. They are renowned as an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to gift wrapping or large bags. Traditionally dyed with indigo, such antique fabrics are coveted even here in Japan for clothing and other artistic projects, like quilts and tapestries. This piece is in great condition and could even be displayed as is! I see three super tiny holes in the middle at the bottom and one in each corner which almost look like it could have been pinned with something there. Otherwise, the condition is near perfect. It is soft with use.
The corners show the usual treatment, the resist ‘tiedyed’ vestiges of being bound up during dyeing. In order to make the piece easier to fetch up from the indigo dye vat, strings were tied onto the corners. I also included photos of where the resist paste must have dried and ‘cracked’ during the dyeing, which is an effect we often see with batik, wax resist dyeing.
dimensions:
147 cms long x 136 cms wide (4 panels)
This piece would make a great gift, even a wedding gift, a great display piece, tapestry, table cloth, quilt center, or even fabric for any sort of remake projects.
Own a piece of history and add a touch of cultural elegance to your environment with this vintage Japanese treasure.
Share this listing and my shop all over the place, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, the local corkboard, tell the cat. Meow.
Transform your space with the timeless beauty of an Antique Indigo Furoshiki, a blend of tradition and aesthetic.
This piece is from the late Meiji or Taisho era. The fabric is light and supple cotton, 4 hand woven widths make up this furoshiki. This indigo dyed cotton fabric is homespun, and you can clearly see the uneven handspun fibers used to weave the fabric in the last photo. The selvedges are also uneven. The indigo looks almost black, but with closeup observation, we can see it is deep blue, indigo blue. The pattern in the middle is most likely a family crest, a convenient and aesthetically pleasing identifying mark.
A furoshiki is a traditional Japanese square-shaped wrapping cloth used for carrying, storing, or gifting items. They are renowned as an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to gift wrapping or large bags. Traditionally dyed with indigo, such antique fabrics are coveted even here in Japan for clothing and other artistic projects, like quilts and tapestries. This piece is in great condition and could even be displayed as is! I see three super tiny holes in the middle at the bottom and one in each corner which almost look like it could have been pinned with something there. Otherwise, the condition is near perfect. It is soft with use.
The corners show the usual treatment, the resist ‘tiedyed’ vestiges of being bound up during dyeing. In order to make the piece easier to fetch up from the indigo dye vat, strings were tied onto the corners. I also included photos of where the resist paste must have dried and ‘cracked’ during the dyeing, which is an effect we often see with batik, wax resist dyeing.
dimensions:
147 cms long x 136 cms wide (4 panels)
This piece would make a great gift, even a wedding gift, a great display piece, tapestry, table cloth, quilt center, or even fabric for any sort of remake projects.
Own a piece of history and add a touch of cultural elegance to your environment with this vintage Japanese treasure.
Share this listing and my shop all over the place, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, the local corkboard, tell the cat. Meow.