Antique Japanese Indigo Boro Textile with Patchwork & Sashiko

Size: Approximately 36 inches wide by 60 inches long
Japan · Circa 1890–1910, late Meiji period · Cotton

One side of this antique Japanese boro textile is pieced from indigo cotton fabric in solids, stripes, and checks, ranging from deep blue to heavily faded tones. Large patches overlap smaller repairs across the surface, creating a dense, irregular patchwork, layered over time.

On the other side, the construction becomes more visible, with layers of repairs, seams, and white sashiko stitching cross the textile in shifting directions, with darker and lighter indigo patches worked into the older cloth.

At approximately five feet long, it has the scale of a substantial wall textile while retaining the softness and movement of the worn cotton.

Details

• Techniques: Hand-pieced patchwork, sashiko stitching, and hand repairs
• Construction: Layered, double-sided cotton textile
• Period: Late Meiji period, circa 1890–1910

Condition

It has extensive age-appropriate wear, including fading, surface wear, layered repairs, exposed stitching, irregular edges, and worn-through areas. These signs of long use are part of the textile's character and are shown in the photographs.