A Marvelous 19th Century Boro Textile: Two Panels

ca. mid to late nineteenth century
55" x 26", 139.5 cm x 66 cm

This is an excellent and old boro fragment which is composed of two heavily patched panels of checked cotton cloth.

The emphasis on this cloth is on its age; you can tell by examining this cloth that it belongs to the nineteenth century.  Certainly the patina of the cloth tells you that, as does the marvelous, hand spun cotton threads which compose the base cloth and its myriad, layered mending patches.  The stitching, too, is top-notch.

This is a glorious, antique boro panel.  It shows tears and loss, but it also is of wonderful color, fantastic cottons and excellent stitching.

We have shown both sides of this old boro as each is of great interest.  The proper back of the cloth (which, in its original incarnation as a futon cover would have been the proper face of the item) shows an asagi or pale blue cotton against a coral/beige colored ground.  Add to this the remarkably good mending and you have a superlative, old boro fragment.

A fantastic boro piece and one that is very highly recommended.