60" x 33", 152.5 cm x 84 cm
c.1915
This futon cover is intact, still closed (save for a slit to insert wadding) and is what can only be described as a riot of antique and vintage Japanese fabrics. The fabrics comprising this piece date from the early part of the Twentieth century to what I estimate to be years just before World War II. The patching together of cloth is random, free-form, and totally exuberant in nature. The piece itself weighs heavy in the hand and is a sharp reminder of the penury rampant among the inhabitants of old Japan, where frugality and recycling were not options but necessity.

For those interested in boro, this piece is a wonderful document that succintly defines an historical moment of Japan's past.