A Stenciled Hand Spun Cotton Festival Coat: 19th Century
late nineteenth century
27" x 44", 68.5 cm x 111.5 cm
This is a beautiful, old jacket, more than likely one that would have been made in great numbers for use at a matsuri or local festival: it would have been worn by a group of those participating in the festival which is the reason for the great number of them to have been made.
We are lucky to have this marvelous one. The cotton is simply beautiful and is exactly as you would want to see on a Japanese folk textile. The yarns are beautifully hand spun and the cloth is equally beautifully hand woven.
The bold, simple and graphic indigo dyeing is also just magnificent. The back of the jacket shows a stylized plum blossom while the sleeves show a repeat of elongated triangles, a kind of saw tooth design that can often be seen on matsurigi or festival wear.
There is repair to the piece which can be seen in the accompanying detail photographs and there is a bit of soiling, hard to see, on the top fold of the proper left sleeve, almost unnoticeable.
The seams of the coat are as they were when made and they may be a bit weak. But it is the marvelously bold graphic appeal of this coat which is second only to its very good age that make it a fantastic thing to own.
Very recommended.