A Wildly, Intensely Mended Small Boro Cloth: Fascinating on Both Sides

early twentieth century
32 3/4" x 28", 83 cm x 71 cm

This boro textile is small--but it packs a punch. Both sides are super interesting for the intensely-done patching and the mending and there are ample photos here to give a view onto these details and surfaces.

The lightweight cotton furoshiki or wrapping cloth is not only visually surprising on each of its sides it also has the added feature of looking fantastic when back lit, and a detail photo that accompanies this post shows this.

The furoshiki before patching almost has the quality of a large handkerchief. One of its selvedge edges is torn away whichprobably happened before most of the patching was done.

If you are fortunate enough to acquire this piece and have it in hand keep in mind how much work went into preserving it and then consider why: how little must the person have owned to have taken such time to mend this small cloth? How important was frugality so many years ago? How ingrained is the notion of not wasting in the Japanese mentality?

All these ideas come to mind when seeing this cloth--but also what comes to mind is the sheer delight in viewing the artistry with which it was stitched and mended.

Recommended.