A Very Large, Colorful Boro Furoshiki: Reversible with Spectacular Details

mid twentieth century
76" x 79", 193 cm x 200.75 cm

This is a very large boro cloth and it is simply marvelous for the ingenious marriage of exuberance of design, color and fabrication with utility.  

This huge, hand stitched boro cloth is a furoshiki, which is a wrapping/storage/carrying cloth that was used all the time, in all parts, and by all people in old Japan.

This furoshiki is hand stitched of seven cotton panels, the five panels of large-scale plaid cloth being augmented by two reddish colored pieces which enlarge the overall size.  Many and randomly figured and colored patches are crowded in the center of the furoshiki, producing a beautiful play of disjointed color, pattern and scale.

As beautiful as this piece is on one side, it is equally beautiful on the other, but in a completely different way.

One side shows bold patching while the other shows only glimpses of the patches through apertures of the holes that were mended by the large pieces on the reverse side.

A simply marvelous boro furoshiki.

Recommended.