1988
Ardis and Robert James Collection, 1997.007.1092

Poetry in Indigo III features 168 different examples of kasuri fabric—the Japanese version of ikat.  Ikat is created by tie-dyeing the warp and/or weft threads in a specific pattern prior to weaving. The pattern appears as the fabric is woven. View an example of this dyeing and weaving technique in this video.

Figurative imagery in this quilt includes a crane and turtle, bat, and a cat among others. The crane and turtle motif symbolizes longevity. Bats are good luck symbols that often appear on young children’s clothing.

Artist Shizuko Kuroha is one of the most celebrated quiltmakers in Japan. After learning to quilt while living in the United States in the 1970s, she began giving quilt classes in Tokyo, eventually starting her own school and teaching all over Japan and the world. Kuroha has been the featured quiltmaker at the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival on multiple occasions, most recently in 2014.

Kuroha has exhibited all over the globe and her work is included in many international collections. Poetry in Indigo III, part of the Ardis and Robert James Collection at the International Quilt Museum, appears in “Blue Echoes: Quilts by Shizuko Kuroha.”