Futonji (bedding), single panel
Cotton
Weft kasuri, double kasuri

Traditional bedding typically had four often identical panels; this is a single fragmentary panel. This bedding depicts a pattern of squares, interspersed with designs of Kinko, one of the Taoist Immortals, riding a carp. The designs are deliberately woven both right side up and upside down so neither direction dominates. The carp is a symbol of perseverence and fortitude, and is often shown swimming upstream, fighting the current. As one of the Immortals, Kinko is a symbol of virtue. The squares have areas of stark white, while Kinko does not, because the squares are rendered in double kasuri. The white lines that delineate Kinko stand out less brightly because the warps are indigo, not white. Since the weaver had to adjust each inividual weft thread by hand, no two renditions of the designs are exactly alike. (See the two faces below.)