Boro panel, Japan, Taisho (circa 1920), cm 186x37. 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. As a matter of fact, however, boro textiles prove to be an aesthetically valuable art form, that mostly appeal to collectors of Contemporary Art, as well as to collectors of Tribal and Outsider Art. What we have here is probably a panel from a ‘futongawa’ (futon cover), made up recycling used fabrics all with a stripes design on different shades of indigo. Please note the dense pattern of sashiko stitchings used to hold together the different patches. a ‘ rigorous’ item, with a somewhat understated look. a good starting point for a boro collection at a minimal price though.