A Beautifully Boro Length of Resist Dyed Cotton: Happi

mid twentieth century

48" x 13", 122 cm x 13 cm

This lavishly patched and mended length of boro cotton cloth is taken from a happi, a patterned, resist-dyed jacket worn by workers or by celebrants during shrine and temple festivals.

The base cloth of this lovely boro piece is grey, white and orange, each of the colors being faded and the cotton being worn and tattered.  The geometric pattern dyed into the cloth is referred to as the paving stone design.

The surface of this cloth is studded by about twenty individual cotton patches, each of which is hand sewn to the base cloth.  Please note the prominent hole to the cloth which is placed near its top.

A very good-looking, nicely colored piece of cotton, this length is equally interesting front and back, its proper "back" shows many wonderful stitch marks from the patched mending on the reverse side.

Wonderful.