A Tattered, Heavily Repaired Furoshiki: Wonderful Mending

early twentieth century
39" x 36", 99 cm x 91.5 cm 

This very battered and tattered cotton cloth is a furoshiki or a traditional wrapping cloth that was used for the storage or hauling of goods. It is made from recycled, grey toned, kimono fabric in a narrow, woven stripe.

It is heavily mended using patches and stitching--and these fixes to the cloth are visually alluring and a pleasure to behold.

Many of the repairs are shown in the detail photos that accompany this post and from them you can get an idea of the variety of mending types employed by the person or people who did them in old Japan.

This is as wonderful a research document as it is something to be admired for its artistic appeal.