![]() From shoulder to hem, the patterns are: chrysanthemums and stylized concentric motifs among small dots against an indigo ground plum blossoms on a green ground stylized hemp leaves against an indigo ground and bracken fern fiddleheads on a blue-black ground. Stencil-dyeing and tube-drawn paste-resist dyeing (tsutsugaki) were used to create patterns on this robe in white reserve: the applied rice paste resisted the indigo dye. As the chrysanthemum crest is placed lower than usual and the robe’s other patterns are relatively simple, this could be a regional variation of katsugi made for a commoner in Kyoto, where it remained popular throughout the Edo period. This example represents a type with a large flower motif, here a chrysanthemum crest, where the garment covers the head. Some katsugi were made of silk, but most were hemp with indigo-dyed patterns. The robe’s complex geometric patterns were thought to have talismanic qualities that protected the wearer.Ī katsugi is a woman’s mantle or coatlike veil, usually in the shape of a kosode, worn pulled over the head with the sleeves unused. Areas subject to heavy wear, such as around the neck, cuffs, and hem, were reinforced with appliqué as well. These now-faded cutouts of bright red and white were appliquéd onto ruunpe robes with vividly colored, decorative stitches. ![]() The ground fabric, typically dyed a dark indigo, was embellished with additional cotton pieces usually taken from old Japanese clothing. One of the most striking types of Ainu robe is the cotton ruunpe. From their creative recycling of used fabrics, the Ainu people developed a distinctive style. However, cotton, which could not be grown in the region, was introduced through the extensive trade of used cotton clothing from central Japan, around the mid-Edo period (1615–1868). Traditionally, garments of the Indigenous Ainu people from what is now northern Japan were made from the fur and skin of deer, bear, and other animals, as well as from salmon skin and, later, plant fibers. They carried spears (naginata) to defend the fleeing occupants (mainly other women) and patrolled the grounds. High-ranking samurai women, especially those living in the women’s quarter of Edo Castle, were trained to evacuate and assist people during fires. A matching plastron, or breastplate, and hakama pants would have completed the ensemble. The hood (zukin) indicates that this set was made for a woman, as male firefighters wore helmets. ![]() Five crests with a motif of three oak leaves, possibly the Yamauchi family crest, are depicted on the jacket. The quality of the gold-thread embroidery is excellent, with various gold couching techniques and French knots on the tassels, which are attached to the cords of the anchors. The dynamic composition refers to the processes of extinguishing a fire and pulling down smoldering buildings and also symbolizes security. The luxurious red wool (rasha) jacket worn by a high-ranking samurai woman on fire duty is extravagantly decorated with crashing waves, water droplets, and anchors. Atsuita robes with checks, geometric patterns, and Chinese motifs were worn mainly by male leads as undergarments, but this example was shortened and refashioned for a child’s role, probably after being damaged at the hem. Supplementary silk wefts were used to express the flowers and waves. This robe’s warp yarns were tie-dyed before they were woven, resulting in a blurry ikat pattern. Having drunk miraculous water from a stream where dewdrops had fallen from chrysanthemums, the boy becomes unaware of the passage of time and is freed from aging and infirmity. ![]() The pattern refers to the ancient Chinese legend of the Chrysanthemum Boy (Kikujidō) or the Noh play based on that story, which tells of a youth banished from court who spends centuries diligently copying a couplet from the Lotus Sutra, one of Buddhism’s most important scriptures, on chrysanthemum leaves. Green, orange-red, white, and brownish-purple blocks form a colorful, contrasting background for white chrysanthemums drifting on flowing water. While the precise meaning of the word remains unclear, it is used today to refer to a textile technique: stitch-resist dyeing and ink painting on a lightweight, plain-weave ground, often embellished with gold-leaf imprinting and embroidery. Translated literally as “flowers (hana) at the crossroads (tsuji),” the term evokes images of delicate blossoms amid pathways. The elegant poem card is mounted as a hanging scroll with tsujigahana silks. The poem, about the moon over the bay, reads: Kōetsu rendered the thirty-one-syllable court poem (waka) by Fujiwara no Teika (1162–1241), one of Japan’s greatest poets, on a light blue paper decorated with miscanthus grasses.
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