boro flag, Japan, late Edo/early Meiji (mid 19th century), cm 194x142. There is a class of Japanese folk textiles known as boro, which literally translated means "rags" or "ragged." Broadly speaking, boro textiles are the patched, mended and heavily stitched indigo-dyed cotton cloths whose history extends back to the nineteenth century and continues on through the early-to-mid twentieth century, and to fully appreciate they apart from their obvious artistic appeal, one has to delve into their history by understanding something of cotton's cultural significance in Japan. i deeply encourage those interested in getting a better understanding of the whole thing, to have a look at the excellent article by Stephen Szczepanek, ‘Rags to Riches’ just published on hali 158 (winter 2008). This is a boro flag, possibly a one used on a ship, maybe a fishing boat, as the last kanji character reads ’maru’ (lit. ‘circle’ but often attached to Japanese ship names), and there is also the image of a ‘noshi’, white paper folded with a strip of dried abalone meat that is considered a token of good fortune, something the captain of a fishing boat needs indeed. It has been used, and used, and patched and used again… till it has arrived to us. Unusual and lovely.