A Beautifully Stamped Pilgrim's Coat: Hand Spun Cotton

early twentieth century
25" x 45", 63.5 cm x 114.5 cm

This is a completely hand stitched jacket made of hand spun, hand woven undyed cotton.

It is the type of jacket worn by Buddhist pilgrims as they travel a prescribed pilgrimage route and as they make their way from one temple to the other along the route. Often, especially in the old days, this pilgrimage was done on foot and was an arduous and time-consuming act of devotion.

At each temple visited a red stamp(s) particular to that temple would be imprinted directly onto the coat. In this case we see at least twenty-five of these. Also stamped on the coat in black ink are large, sacred images of what appear to be Kannon a boddhisattva of compassion venerated in Japan and to whom countless temples are dedicated.

The coat shows a good amount of wear and the gauzy, clingy hand spun cotton is wonderful to feel in the hand.

This is a really beautiful cotton pilgrim's coat and has good age and wonderful, imagistic stamps. One can only imagine the personal history contained within the threads of this ohenrogi or pilgrim garb.

Recommended.