A Tattered Shibori Boro Fragment: Patched and Threadbare

early twentieth century
22 1/4" x 24", 56.5 cm x 61 cm

This charming fragment of tattered, patched and mended indigo dyed shibori shows a base cloth of very nicely done--and quite complex--shibori cloth.

The image shown by the shibori is that of two types of fans which are only partially seen in this length.

This piece is constructed of two fragments which are hand stitched together and was taken from a garment. The garment itself seems to have been recycled from another garment: the cotton is thin, threadbare in spots and a bit fragile. There are a few tears and a quite obvious hole.

The base cloth shows very good age and it is obvious it was patched over time: for the most part the patches are of a more recent vintage than the base.

This is visually appealing and certainly shows the ingenuity of mending and repair in old Japan.