A Three Panel Rustic Boro Hemp Kaya: Reversible

**reduced from $275.00**
ca. early twentieth century
68" x 34", 172.75 cm x 86.25 cm

This is a three panel hemp kaya or mosquito netting.  The hemp yarns are rustic, thick and wiry--they are almost twig-like in their rusticity.

This three panel fragment was taken from a larger piece, most likely a tent-like structure that would have been placed over a futon.  In Japan's hot and humid summers, mosquitoes are abundant, and kaya are a basic necessity for surviving such a difficult season.

The color is a faded, dull green: most likely the hemp yarns were dyed indigo and overdyed in a yellow dye to create a green color.  Because the bast fibers are so raw, they did not drink in the dye as, say, cotton does, so the color is not as intense as cotton or silk would be.  Also, this cloth has been faded from decades of use.

Each of the two sides of this kaya is patched, so, in effect, it is "reversible" as it is equally attractive from both sides.

A lovely, simple kaya from old Japan, and one with great texture and presence.