A Small and Abraded Zokin: Stiched and Patched Dust Cloth
mid twentieth century
7" x 9 1/2", 18 cm x 24 cm
A zokin is a traditional Japanese dust cloth or cleaning rag; it is usually made from old pieces of cloth and it is usually layered and stitched for durability.
Along with diapers, zokin are among the traditional household textiles that represent the end of the line where the re-purposing or recycling of cloth is concerned.
This small zokin is a few layers thick and is made of old, abraded striped cotton cloth. It is sashiko stitched in a loosely executed grid, the white stitches over the patched, roughed-up cotton base is beautiful.
A wonderful boro zokin with a very good old cotton cloth and great mending.