A Battered Boro Zokin: Small Cotton Mat

mid twentieth century
22" x 13 1/4", 56 cm x 33.5 cm

A zokin is a traditional Japanese dust cloth or cleaning rag; it is usually made from old pieces of cloth and it is usually layered and stitched for durability.   

Along with diapers, zokin are among the traditional household textiles that represent the end of the line where the repurposing or recycling of cloth is concerned.

This example shows a wonderfully boro zokin, two layers thick, which is stitched together from a tight palette of somber colored cloth.

Just wonderful.