This listing is for a full bolt of traditional Japanese fabric intended to be made into a nagoya obi sash. See below for more about nagoya obi.

Earthy color and a wonderfully rustic texture give this obi fabric a relaxed, handwoven character. The slubby olive-green background is accented with woven oval medallions filled with stylized flowers and foliage in golden yellow, turquoise blue-green, dusty pink, deep purple and cream. The larger medallion has a particularly charming symmetrical arrangement, with a central flower surrounded by leafy forms and smaller blossoms, while the dark scrolling border gives the design an antique textile quality.

The elements are intentionally "incomplete" and placed at the salvage edge so that the viewer's mind completes the image. The floral imagery carries familiar associations with beauty, renewal and the changing seasons, while the deliberately irregular weave adds depth and emphasizes the fabric's natural, homespun appearance.

Exposed floating threads on the reverse reveal the construction of the colorful woven motifs. Fringed at the end.

This bolt is laid out in the traditional nagoya obi format: 65" of plain fabric that would be the backside of the obi, followed by a 9" decorative section (bow), 27" plain fabric, another 5" decorative section, and finishing with another 70" of plain fabric.

The fabric is a thick weave that is both pliable and sturdy – perfect for being tied into an elaborate bow at the back of a kimono, and just a perfect as table or wall décor. Plenty of fabric to convert into home décor (pillows!) or an elegant jacket or coat…?

A nagoya obi is a semi formal obi with a partially sewn structure, featuring a wide decorative element at the bow end and a smaller one on the narrower belt section. This bolt has not yet been sewn into the nagoya style but the patterning is set to do so.