A Wide Patched Panel of Commercially Dyed Cotton: Persimmon Dye and Pattern

mid twentieth century
76" x 25", 193 cm x 63.5 cm

This boro length is referred to as being "wide" because it is not made of the traditional Japanese cloth which is woven in 13" or 33 cm widths. Instead this is a section of cloth that has been cut into a 20" or 51 cm width.

The base cloth on this playfully patched and mended cloth is commercially produced as can be seen by the texture of the woven cotton and by the pattern that is ghost-like on the cloth.

The brownish color is no doubt the result of the cloth being over dyed in kaki shibu or fermented green persimmon tannin. The left hand area of the cloth is lighter in tone than the body of cloth.

There are about 9 patches affixed to this cloth, eight of them of a different sort than the base. The tonal contrast of the patches against the lightly figured base cloth is beautifully played--and do note some running of dye from some of the patches and a faint cloud of darkening to the bottom of the length, not terribly noticeable in person.

The layers of visual interest on this cloth make it alluring and although it no doubt was hand stitched in the mid twentieth century. This example shows that the Japanese practice of hand stitching vital utilitarian textiles--in this case a futon cover--endured well into the modern era.

Beautiful.