Indigo shibori panel, Japan, Taisho (c.1920), 165x33cm. The common English translation of the Japanese word shibori is "tie-dye"; however, a more accurate translation is "shaped-resist dyeing," which describes the inherent patterning process of manipulating the two-dimensional cloth surface into three-dimensional shapes before compressing them to dye. Diverse shibori techniques are used to obtain different patterns, and sometimes they can be combined to obtain a certain result. This panel was possibly part of a futonji, and displays a lovely shade of indigo and a master use of the dyeing technique. This lightweight, handwoven cotton is in excellent condition. Simple and subtle at the same time: a lovely item.