Vintage Japanese Kasuri Textile. Alternating light stylistic crane forms with geometrically abstract butterfly shapes on a dark indigo background. 

Size: 63 x 13 in. 

Kasuri (also known as Iichiiri) is the Japanese term for textiles produced on the Okinawan islands that have been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric, a technique that is a form of ikat dyeing. The warp and weft threads are resist-dyed in patterns prior to dyeing, with sections of the warp and weft yarns tightly wrapped with thread to protect them from the dye. When woven together the undyed areas interlace to form patterns, with many variations including highly pictographic and multi-colored results, traditionally characterized by their blurred or brushed appearance. The process likely arose in the Ryukyu Kingdom in the 12th or 13th Century, with many rural centers throughout the Southern part of Japan specializing in the technique to this day, producing regional variants that are collected by textile aficionados around the world.

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