A Beautifully Worn and Pieced Jacket of Omi Jofu: Repurposed Cloth

late nineteenth century
shoulder to hem: 29", 73.5 cm
sleeve tip to sleeve tip: 38", 96.5 cm

This is a stunning little garment.  

It is a small jacket that is hand stitched of excellent quality hand plied, hand woven, indigo dyed kasuri hemp or ramie cloth.

It shows great age and a marvelous patina from wear, which, of course, enhances its natural beauty.

The jacket is reconstructed from smaller pieces.  

The bodice of the coat is hand stitched from large fragments of cloth which are arranged symmetrically.  This piecing and stitching is so well done that it is barely visible at first glance.  But hold the garment up to the light and all the seams from the pieces of cloth will be very evident when light pours through it.

The cloth is Omi jofu which is a type of hand woven hemp or ramie cloth which is considered to be some of the finest produced in Japan.  The color of the indigo dyed asa cloth has softened considerably over time, and, if you look closely, you will see that on the front of the jacket there are some small holes (please look carefully at the accompanying detail photos).

The narrow sleeves of this coat, too, are a puzzle of small, hand stitched pieces and are quite beautiful. The small bit of lining, of a slightly lighter shade of blue than the coat itself, is a lovely contrast to the predominant cloth.

Some patching, which is lovely, can be seen on the proper, interior, bottom.

An absolutely beautiful old garment that is made of wonderful cloth that bears a superb patina from wear.

Recommended.