Boro: Japanese folk fabric

After buying a boro scarf at a Tokyo flea market I wanted to learn more about the scruffy, stylish fabric. I pulled at a loose thread and unraveled an interesting tale going back hundreds of years.

Boro was born of forgotten values of ‘mottainai’ or ‘too good to waste’. An idea dangerously lacking in the modern consumer lifestyle.

The charm of boro is not only the indigo shades and shabby street chic, or even its eco-friendliness. Sewn together over generations, family sagas are woven through the threads. click below to read on…

Japanese Kokeshi dolls: more than a pretty face

Click photo to buy this item in FurugiStar on Etsy

Traditional kokeshi ningyo are Japanese dolls with a colourful history and controversial reputation.  They have been associated with miscarried babies and infanticide. They were guardians of children and keepers of their souls. Today, the word kokeshi is a sexual innuendo due to the phallic shape.

Kokeshi were originally souvenirs for Japanese tourists and offered entertainment to children but developed into something much more. The dolls are fascinating, shocking, sad or mundane depending on the perspective. click below to read on..