Decorated with remnants depicting pine, plum, and bamboo — the "Three Friends of Winter" — this pieced and patchworked textile likely served as a kotatsugake, the quilted cover for a low table heated by a brazier. In the center, a crest-like design may record the identity of a household or small business.

The white pigment used for the tsutsugaki (rice-paste resist dying) designs has begun to deteriorate, possibly due to zinc in the pigment, and likely would have been created for a wealthier family. Notice also the unusual diagonal panels pieced into the surface near the center — these may once have been tapered work pants. The combination of these fabrics in this piece exemplifies how textiles moved not only regionally but also across social hierarchy.

This boro textile is currently on display as part of “BORO: The Hidden and the Visible in Japanese Mended Textiles” in the IQM’s West Gallery through June 20.

Guest curated by Dr. Yoshiko I. Wada in collaboration with the IQM curatorial team, this exhibition highlights these beautiful and essential textiles. "Boro" is a Japanese term associated with the cycle of use and reuse — of wearing something out and mending it, time and again. In rural communities across Japan, mainly before World War II, boro was a way of life. Everyday textiles such as bed covers and clothing were repeatedly repaired using scraps of fabric and simple running stitches.