Antique Japanese 19th Century Textile - Tsutsugaki 44"x43.5" Butterfly Kamon

Tsutsugaki is a Japanese resist-dyeing technique where rice paste is applied to fabric to create intricate designs that will resist dye. First, artisans mix rice flour and water to make a thick paste, which is placed in a cone-like tube called a “tsutsu.” Using this tube, they carefully hand-draw designs onto the fabric, often freehand, with skill and precision. Once the paste dries, the fabric is submerged in a vat of natural indigo dye. The areas covered in rice paste resist the dye, preserving the fabric’s original color. After dyeing, the fabric is washed to remove the rice paste, revealing sharp, detailed patterns with a high contrast between the dyed and undyed areas. This process is repeated multiple times for more complex designs, building layers of color and detail.