Short dark blue-ground fisherman's festival coat (donza) made on Awaji Island, late 19th-early 20th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Cloth: cotton; sashiko (decorative reinforcement stitching)expand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fund and the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation; purchase from the Thomas Murray Collectionexpand_more 2019.20.108
Not on Viewexpand_more
Though of unremarkable materials, this embroidered fisherman’s festival coat (donza) was precious, a high-status item undoubtedly worn with a great deal of pride. The skill of the embroiderer(s), who labored for months to cover the garment with small, even stitches, is self-evident. Unusual among extant textiles for its short length, the cotton garment is lined with wadded, quilted cotton and then embroidered with white cotton threads. This embroidery, called sashiko, literally “little stabs,” is a style of quilting in which cotton is sewn in a running stitch through layers of fabric. Originated as a way to reinforce parts of textiles, it grew to have a decorative function as well. Its painstaking beauty is on magnificent display here: the shoulders and upper back are stitched with a zigzag pattern, while the body and sleeves feature staggered, vertical stitches.
Details
- Title
- Short dark blue-ground fisherman's festival coat (donza) made on Awaji Island
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- 2019.20.108
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murray et al. 2018, pl. 113
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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