A Simply Beautiful Two Panel Boro: Rich Light Blue

ca. late nineteenth century
72" x 25 1/4", 183 cm x 61.5 cm

This indigo dyed, two panel boro cloth is really, really beautiful in its simplicity, in its wonderful coloration and in its tremendously subtle patching--there are about 34 patches in all, some of them smaller than a postage stamp, and many of them hand stitched along the edges of the cloth.

The boro cloth is hand stitched from two panels of hand loomed cotton and the many patches are cut from a similarly dyed cloth as the base, the very close tonal play between patches and base cloth is just beautiful.  Note especially the white cotton stitching which reinforces the center seam of this two panel boro: this "dot and dash" stitch is often seen on Japanese garments and cloth of all kinds and on this boro cloth it is particularly beautiful.

Recommended.