A Two Panel Boro Cloth: Undone Noragi

$185.00 USD

early to mid twentieth century
76" x 26", 193 cm x 66 cm

This is a very interesting, two-panel length of indigo dyed cotton boro: this piece is interesting because it is a re-worked body of a splayed-open noragi.

This opening up of old clothing and reworking them is one of the hallmarks of boro textiles, which depended on the re-use of existing cloth. In the case it is extremely clear that this was once a noragi: the top of the central patch would have been touching the back, shoulder area of the wearer and bottom of this patch would have rested on the chest of the wearer.  The center, bottom half of this cloth was stitched closed.

There are no doubt additions of patches and mending over the original body of the noragi: note the topmost, centered indigo dyed cotton patch which shows a ghost of kasuri patterned fading.  Beautiful.

A really lovely piece of boro cloth and one whose form has given us a clue to its former life.

Recommended.

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