Antique Bori - Japanese Open Front Farmer's Vest | Noragi Vest

Dimensions: 15-0” at the shoulders x 23-0” long

This wonderful bori garment embodies the indispensable Japanese concept of “mottainai”, or not wasting fabric, and when one can prolong the cloth’s useful life through recycling and reuse. This 100% homemade, hand-woven dyed indigo cotton vest is constructed from Indigo blue, camel, and orange color homespun cotton fabrics and is characterized by its single patchwork and mended assembly. Although, as with this vest the blue-dyed fabric changed color into shades of beautiful lighter blue(s) as it naturally faded through washing and wearing. It has open sides with straps that provide for a flexible fit—beautiful use of original fabric combined for a true work of art.

Antique Condition: Overall Good Condition for its age, strong Indigo fabrics nicely woven garment with one 4”x2” brown patch on the back shoulder as originally re-constructed. “As is” and retains the original craft/workmanship. 

NOTE: Japanese women carefully unstitched old futon covers, worn-out garments, and other ragged household textiles to recycle and remake the usable fragments to give them a refreshed “Noragi” appeal.

The Japanese believed that indigo mirrored the hue of the oceans surrounding the Japanese islands, a symbolic concept that was both culturally and economically important to every Japanese. Indigo dye was favored for its ability to hold the deep blue color in the fabric after many years of use. 

This sewing tradition was passed down from mother to daughter, from generation to the next, and was part of the basic homemaking repertoire of every Japanese farmer's or fisherman's wife. See our book section for a book pictured in this listing entitled: Boro: Rags and Taters from the Far North of Japan by Yukiko Koide & Kyoichi Tsuzuki. https://mingeiarts.com/products/boro-rags-and-taters-from-the-far-north-of-japan-authors-yukiko-koide-kyoichi-tsuzuki.