A Large Pieced and Boro Textile: Cotton and Silk

ca. early to mid twentieth century
80" x 22", 203 cm x 56 cm

This is a large, pieced boro textile that is composed primarily of lightweight textiles, both cotton and silk.  

There are about nine pieces of cloth hand stitched together, the center pieces being of indigo dyed kasuri or ikat cotton. This large swath of kasuri cotton is flanked by figured cloth, including lovely cottons, one showing a bamboo leaf pattern to the left and a diamond pattern cloth.  The swath of brown cloth on the lower, right quadrant is a raw silk, figured on the opposite side.

What is fascinating about this large boro textile is the cloth on the top third, right of the piece: notice that the bottom portion of this cotton cloth is woven in the sankuzushi or basketweave motif.  Then notice that this motif dissipates into a regular, small checked motif above that.  Quite wonderful.

This is a lovely boro cloth that is stitched from various types of cottons and silks, some quite lightweight and others of a standard weight.

Lovely.