Ryukyuan: tanashi or n'chanashi
early - mid 19th century
This robe is an example of Okinawa bingata (paste-resist stencil) style of dyeing. Early in the 20th century, Yanagi Soetsu visited Okinawa, where the local folk crafts left an impact on him and became a central part of the formation of his Mingei theory.
Ramie cloth with hand-colored decoration (paste resist and stencil)
50 1/2 x 47 7/8 in. (128.27 x 121.6 cm)
Purchased with funds from Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Henderson, the Pauline King Butts Estate, the Margaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund, and an anonymous donor
94.76