boro noragi, Japan, late Meiji (circa 1900), cm 117x123. This is a very incredible noragi (work coat) made of recycled indigo dyed cottons; in other words it is a ‘boro’ jacket that was definitively worn for work. The beauty of this noragi resides in the amazing mending to this coat. Both the exterior and the interior parts of coat’s body are mostly made of rustic hand loomed, indigo ‘e-gasuri’ (double ikat) cottons, richly patched and mended in layers via ‘sashiko’ stitchings to provide extra strength against the wear of burden that was being carried. Nonetheless, this noragi had clearly undergone a robust distress during time, as shown by the plenty of holes and tears, but this only adds to the magic of it, i think… i particularly like the fact that owner tried to add bit of extra fashion flair to this humble item by stitching a brown velour lapel on it! a truly great thing at a little price. For passionate people only.