Decorated Bands like Ainu Applique
This stencil imitates the appearance of traditional Ainu applique. The Ainu or Ezo a people native to Japan and Russia. If you look Ainu up on wikipedia, there’s a fantastic group photo showing the textiles circa 1901. Thank you Susanna Kuo for identifying this textile.
Large Size — Typical dimensions of the large type are 18.5" x 13.5"
Reversing Ground Composition — in a reversing ground stencil the pattern is composed from fields of opposite technique; light forms are carved into dark field which is then mirrored by dark forms suspended in light field. Often the two elements make a large overall pattern like a diagonal stripe.
Silk Reinforcement — this stencil is reinforced with silk threads woven specifically to this pattern inserted between two sheets of carved paper.
Subject — textile
Keywords — fret, ogee, reversing, rich textures, silk, stripes