An Unusual Boro Textile: Western Style Shirt Fragment

ca. early to mid twentieth century
35" x 18 1/2", 89 cm x 47 cm

At first we did not recognize this boro textile for what it is: a fragment of a Western-tailored cotton shirt, which is identifiable by its distinctive collar.

The brown cotton is not hand loomed as its too wide for the standard Japanese loom; the indigo dyed cotton on the bottom, however, is woven by hand.

A curious fragment and one with personality--and one that certainly speaks about the frugality of every day life in old Japan.

Please note a long, horizontal tear to the bottom of the striped cotton.