A Beautiful Boro Length: Katazome, Asagi and Hand Spun Cotton

ca. late nineteenth century
61" x 12 3/4", 155 cm x 32.5 cm

This is an exceptionally beautiful, old length of boro cloth.  In many postings which have preceded this one, we have spoken of ito aji, or the "thread taste" which is the source of soul and character for old textiles.

This length of boro, which is woven from hand spun cotton, is rich in ito aji, and then, by extension, it is a length of cotton that is also rich in character.

The hand spun cloth is fantastically good, as is the katazome dyed pattern, that of karakusa or arabesque.  What makes this particular karakusa pattern more beautiful than others of this same type is the soft and pale tones of blue and grey used to create this pattern, as well as the thin, resisted white outlines around the karakusa pattern.  Asagi, that sky blue color, is difficult to dye and, when done well, as is the case here, is beautiful to behold.  Look, too, at the soft grey color of the arabesque, and the undyed outline which contains the design and adds shimmer to the overall pattern.

There are 5 patches to this length of cloth; the cloth is beautifully faded and shows a light and overall patina from wear, with some very small holes and snags, and a few areas of lightened dye.

A stunningly good boro panel with good age and great character.