Tall, dark blue textile with two columns of white, circular designs. There are two columns of the large circular designs. The design on the left shows two small, spiky plants inside a circle where the bottom half is made of a curved bamboo shoot and the top half is a curved leaf. The design on the right shows a turtle on a ground and a crane flying above. The crane’s head is lifted. The edges of the crane’s wings are spread to define the top half of the circle. Behind the circular designs is a white, swirling pattern of connected curls. These have small indents throughout so that they appear like bamboo.

There are 3 other images of this object. This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions), and as such we offer a high-resolution image of it. See our image rights statement.

See more objects with the tag circles, birds, repetition, nature, textile design, leaves, tendrils, vegetal, curls.

Object Timeline

1973	We acquired this object.
2008	We photographed this object.
2012	We photographed this object.
2015	We photographed this object.
2018	We photographed this object.
2019	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Textile (Japan)

This is a Textile. It is dated 19th century and we acquired it in 1973. Its medium is cotton and its technique is plain weave, indigo dyed, resist applied with stencil (katazome). It is a part of the Textiles department.

Katagami patterns are generally quite meaningful, evoking desirable personal qualities or referring to well-known stories. The crane-and-turtle motif that appears on this textile would have been recognized by Japanese viewers as a reference to a popular folktale the Legend of Urashima Taro. In the story, a fisherman who rescues a turtle is rewarded with long life and transformed into a crane. Here, the intertwined animals are paired with roundels formed of pine branches and bamboo shoots, creating a pattern symbolic of longevity and resilience.

This object was donated by Elinor Merrell. It is credited Gift of Elinor Merrell.

Stencil, Ferns and Swirls
mulberry paper (kozo washi) treated with fermented persimmon tannin....
Gift of Helen Snyder.
1976-103-61

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 174.6 × 33 cm (5 ft. 8 3/4 in. × 13 in.) Repeat H: 15.9 cm (6 1/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Textile (Japan); cotton; H x W x D: 174.6 × 33 cm (5 ft. 8 3/4 in. × 13 in.) Repeat H: 15.9 cm (6 1/4 in.); Gift of Elinor Merrell; 1973-29-20

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Katagami.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2CHzx/
Accession Number 1973-29-20
Object ID 18480397