Stencil for Textile with Pattern of Bush Clover and Meandering Stream
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Paper reinforced with silk
Dimensions
23 x 17 in. (58.4 x 43.2 cm)
Classification
Stencils
Culture
Japan
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Horace Havemeyer, 1942
Accession Number
42.91.225
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate stencil, titled *Stencil for Textile with Pattern of Bush Clover and Meandering Stream*, hails from 19th-century Japan and exemplifies the intricate craftsmanship of katagami, traditional stencils used in textile printing. Crafted from paper reinforced with silk for durability, it measures 23 x 17 inches and was designed to transfer repeating motifs onto fabrics like kimonos via resist-dyeing techniques such as katazome. The reinforcement with silk allowed these stencils to withstand repeated use, preserving their fine details over time. The design features bush clover (lespedez...