Official A Patched Length Of Homespun Cotton Kasuri: Tamba Tool [YTjr6mSL]

ca. late nineteenth, early twentieth century
62 1/2" x 14", 158.75 cm x 35.5 cm

The Japanese speak of ito aji, or "thread taste" when describing a wonderful cotton cloth that is hand woven from hand spun cotton.  This piece of hand woven cotton kasuri cloth is a rich in ito aji--and it has a marvelous provenance.

This cloth was said to have been woven in Tamba, in Hyogo prefecture, which is home to the famous Tambafu, a country cloth of a cotton warp and a tsumugi silk weft that has become very much associated with Yanagi Soetsu and his Mingei movement.  Tambafu is deeply treasured in Japan; it is one of the most precious traditional, rural textiles.

The indigo of this length of crisp white resist dyed checks is a deep blue-black.  There is one small hole and 7 patches along the length of the wonderfully woven, very gorgeous piece of cloth from Tamba.

Beautiful.