A Small, Sashiko Stitched Boro Furoshiki: Very Good Stitching

ca. late nineteenth, early twentieth century
24" x 23", 61 cm x 58.5 cm 

Although this small, indigo dyed cotton boro furoshiki is battered and shows areas of loss, these deficits do not mar the charm of this hand stitched, traditional wrapping cloth.

There is quite a bit of hand work on this cloth--the sashiko stitched patterns are just beautiful.

Two opposing corner designs are the same: they are stylized chrysanthemums, while the remaining two corners show, on the lower left, a field of interlocking Buddhist swastikas and, on the upper right, a tilted grid of abstracted floriform designs (maybe).

There are three patches applied to the center of the furoshiki, and, likewise, there are three rather prominent holes to the wrapping cloth, amply shown on the accompanying detail photos.  Two corners have been lost.

Beautifully stitched, this is a really marvelous little folk textile from old Japan.

Wonderful.