Boro are a class of Japanese textiles that have been mended or patched together. The term is derived from the Japanese term "boroboro", meaning something tattered or repaired. boro textiles may be stitched or re-woven together, with many layers often added for warmth. Both hemp and cotton fibres and fabrics are commonly used to create boro textiles, and are typically dyed with indigo dyestuff; historically, warmer fibres such as cotton were less commonly available, leading to the development of layering as a necessity in the creation of boro textiles.
History
During the Edo period, fine silk and cotton fabrics were reserved for a select portion of the upper classes, either through official edicts of dress, or the simple factor of cost; silk fabrics were also unsuitable for working clothes, leading to most practical clothing being developed with the aim of practical wear. Many working class people grew, spun, dyed and wove their own clothing, leading to the development of other fabrics such as kasuri. Due to the economic nature of repairing, re-using and re-weaving old clothing and fabrics, boro also developed out of a working-class need for inexpensive textiles, predominantly coming to signify the clothing of the peasant farming classes over time. Garments and textiles were repaired with spare fabric scraps out of necessity, and in many cases, the usage of repaired clothing lasted for several generations, leading to garments eventually resembling a complex and many-layered patchwork spanning decades of mending. The usage of indigo dyestuff and indigo dyeing techniques was common, with indigo dyes often being the only dyestuff available to use by the peasant classes. Indigo dye would often be grown and processed by the peasant classes themselves, being generally easy to grow, and also added a layer of protection to garments due to its moth-repelling properties. Dyeing fabrics with indigo was also incredibly economic, as the unusual properties of indigo meant that it an indigo dyebath could be re-used a number of times, cutting down on the waste of a dyebath used just once. A weak dyebath would require fabrics to be dyed a number of times, with the resulting fabric having greater colourfastness than a fabric dyed once in a strong indigo dyebath, also adding to the economic nature of indigo-dyed textiles.
Preservation
Following the Meiji period and the general increase in living standards amongst the entire Japanese populace, most boro pieces were discarded and replaced by newer clothing. To many working class Japanese people, these garments were an embarrassing reminder of their former poverty, and little effort was expended by government or cultural institutions at the time to preserve such artifacts. Over time, boro textiles came to exemplify the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, with the fabric's reflection of natural wear and use considered beautiful. Many extant examples were preserved through the efforts of folklorists such as Chuzaburo Tanaka, who personally collected over 20,000 pieces of boro during his lifetime, including 786 items now designated as Important Tangible Cultural Properties. 1,500 of these items are on permanent exhibition at Amuse Museum in Asakusa, Tokyo.
