ca. early Twentieth century
73" x 75", 185 cm x 190.5 cm

This large indigo dyed cotton boro textile is the recombination of two happi coats and some additional pieces of indigo dyed cloth: ingeniously recombined to make a kind of futon cover or perhaps some kind of sleeping mat, this boro cloth covers a large area. Pay special attention to the variegated widths of the pieces which comprise this cloth: the narrow pieces showing kanji, or written Chinese characters, were once the collar of the happi coats which were used in service of this boro cloth.

Both the top and botton edge are finished; the left and right sides are unfinished but depend on the natural finishing of the selvedge edge of the cloth.

A beautifuly piece, free of loss and stains, compeltely hand-sewn and exuberantly graphic in appeal. This is a highly usable boro textile; it would look great hung on the wall or used as a home accessory.