A Pieced, Padded Silk Vest: 19th Century Boro

mid to late 19th century
21" x 14", 53.25 cm x 35.5 cm

This delicate beauty is a small, padded vest that is pieced from wispy scraps of silk, all of the seemingly from the 19th century and each of them dyed in botanical dyes.

The manner in which this is pieced and the colors chosen for the arrangement is just beautiful, equally so on all its four sides.

The tones of yellow and orange are the result of silk being dyed in benibana or safflower, and in the case of this vest, this light fugitive dye has faded beautifully into rich golden tones.

Pay special attention to the accompanying detail photos which show that there is a fair amount of wear and damage to the piece, but it still shines forth with artistic beauty that only comes with age and humility.

A beauty.

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