A Two Panel Patched Futon Cover Fragment: Layers and Piles of Patches

early twentieth century
62" x 25 1/2", 157.5 cm x 65 cm

What a visually striking and beautiful textile.

This cloth is a two-panel section which, more than likely, was taken from a larger-sized futon cover. The cotton base cloth is a large-scale, blue and white plaid textile that is hand stitched together.

On its surface are many, re-purposed cotton patches which were taken from many different sources. They are grouped and layered, forming a pile of clusters--some of the patches are well-adhered while others are flimsily attached to the surface.

The visual appeal is obvious and delightful, and the the cloth shows that whoever made this piece culled from their (probably) meager resources in order to mend this textile, to extend its life and to keep it usable.

Its beauty is obvious and it wonderfully illustrates that happenstance, when viewed with a critical eye, can be a charming source of visual pleasure.

Recommended.