Collection Online
Rag kimono

Rag kimono
(Boro kimono ボロ着物)
Meiji period 1868-1912

Medium
cotton
Measurements
140.7 cm (centre back) 129.5 cm (cuff to cuff)
Place/s of Execution
Japan
Accession Number
2014.23
Department
Asian Art
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, NGV Asian Art Acquisition Fund, 2014
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation
Gallery location
Not on display
Physical description
Boro kimono were made from recycled cotton scraps in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by impoverished Japanese people out of necessity. This example has been made from more than 100 pieces and consists of resist-dyed, tie-dyed, ikat-dyed and check woven fabric. In the true spirit of mingei, boro textiles are the creations of unknown craftspeople who never intended them to be viewed as a thing of beauty. However, in a contemporary context they have qualities of random collage and spontaneous design imbued with a life and spirituality of their own.