Sri Zokin

Sri is a by-appointment gallery specializing in antique Japanese folk textiles. The collections focus on historical, indigo dyed cotton cloth representing Japan’s rich and varied hand weaving and dyeing traditions. Ingeniously crafted cloth woven from hemp, ramie and other bast fiber, informed by centuries-old practices, is also offered. Occupying a central place in the inventory are patched and mended boro textiles and garments—and all collections are enriched twice yearly by sourcing trips to Japan. Located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, Sri is celebrating its 25th year.

Japanese zokin are among the most modest objects in Japanese textile culture: simple cloths traditionally used for cleaning floors, tables, windows, and other household surfaces. Yet their humble function reflects broader cultural attitudes toward material use, repair, and resourcefulness. Traditionally constructed by folding, layering, and stitching together pieces of worn fabric, zokin represent an approach to textiles in which usefulness and longevity are valued over disposability. We love to place them underneath object to both protect and highlight them.