Michel May

Hello Rugrabbit Community,

My name is Michel and I have great fun collecting old indigo cotton textile fabrics from Japan. To me, they are beautiful because they are a stark reminder of the superficial times we live in now, where things are just made to be thrown out soon, and we toil to keep the wheel of consumerism spinning. "Boros" as they are called are an artful reminder of how precious material used to be. Most items I have are from around 1850 to 1900, worn decades sometimes by family members over several generations. The high material quality (which was achieved using a sophisticated weaving and dying process) has made it possible that the fabrics are in great condition and the colors are still vivid today.

For my main job, I travel around Japan constantly. Whenever I have time I check out small antique markets or buy privately from folks I have to come known over the years in the countryside. I know how valuable Japanese indigo boro items have become and they are getting less and less. Even prices in Tokyo have been soaring. While I have few items to sell (check out my japanborovintage.com for the entire collection) I only get what I believe to be very high quality at a reasonable price.

I want to share the artful process and the message they carry and I am interested in fostering a relationship with people interested in them.

Yoroshiku,

Michel