A Boro Shibori Dyed Cotton Diaper: Patches and Holes

**reduced from $35.00**
mid twentieth century
23 3/4" x 11 1/2", 60.25 cm x 28.5 cm

This lightweight cotton cloth measures, as shown as 23 3/4" or 60.25 cm in length, when in reality as it is twice that since this is a length of cotton that has been stitched as a "tube," short end to short end.

It is a diaper and is dyed in the itajime shibori or clamp dyed method.  The cotton would have been folded in a series of triangular folds, then clamped, and then the edges would have been dyed.  The result is this field of blue on white, six pointed "flowers" which are arranged in ordered repeat. 

As is clear to see the diaper is faded, damaged and repaired with patches--and there are still some slight holes to the surface. This diaper delivers stunning information regarding the value of materials in old Japan: even, or maybe especially, diapers were repaired over time.

Really lovely.