A Tattered and Repaired Han Juban: Re-purposed Indigo Dyed Cotton

bearly twentieth century
shoulder to hem x sleeve tip to sleeve tip: 28 1/2" x 45", 72.5 cm x 114 cm

This marvelously tattered indigo dyed cotton garment shows off the Japanese use of repurposed textiles in an exemplary way.

All the pieces of cloth on the bodice of the garment have come from a previously made garment or bedding. The have been cut apart, re-jiggered, and stitched in such a way to form this half under kimono called a han juban.

As is very clear there are plenty of repairs to this piece, most of them being on the proper front of it: the cloud-like oval mends are a dominant visual presence on the front on the han juban and when you look at the detail photos you will see that these repairs themselves are complex in their making.

If this under kimono is so rough in its making, if it is hand stitched from so many worn-out parts one has to wonder what the kimono that was worn on top of this looked like: was it similar in making and spirit as this han juban or was it wildly different? Chances are that the kimono was a rustic one but this kind of question is what enlivens our relationship to this material; questions such as this create a personal connection between us and these textiles--whether we learn the answers or not is not so relevant. What is relevant is that these textiles beg our attention.

What is easily seen is that one of the stepped sleeve tips is quite tattered and the han juban itself is, obviously, made of worn material.

Recommended.