A Patched Boro Panel: Plaid on Plaid
late ninteenth, early twentieth century
30" x 18", 76 cm x 45.75 cm
This small boro textile is all about subtlety. It is a wonderful little piece based on blue and white handwoven checked cotton, the yarns appearing to be hand spun.
This textile is patched and repaired with the same cloth as the base, so what we see is blue and white checked patches on blue and white base, which make for a beautiful, very hard-to-see contrast between patches and the fundamental cloth which underlies it all.
Patches of various sizes cover almost the entire surface of this cloth, each of them hand stitched with thick, black cotton thread.
A wonderful, little surprise of low contrast beauty with good age and great hand woven cotton.