pair of navy blue, tightly knit gloves; three fingered glove (thumb and index finger are individual) inside sleeve covering; covers are connected by olive green cord, knotted to loops on open ends

Pair of gloves [from a fireman's kit], second half 19th century

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Firefighters’ uniforms were composed of special, heavily quilted garments made of layered cotton cloth that was dyed with indigo, which conferred a degree of fire-retardance. Before the men headed into a blaze, their coats were soaked with water as a further safety measure; the wet coats weighed upward of 70 pounds.

This is a complete kit for a fireman. It consists of a quilted coat (hikeshi-banten) and hood, heavily padded gloves, and close-fitting trousers. All the pieces are made of indigo-dyed cotton, but the interior of the coat features the same design as the exterior, dyed bright red. The meaning of the single character on the back is unclear, but the background features a repeating stylized pattern of the character moto 元, which can have many meanings.

Details
Title
Pair of gloves [from a fireman's kit]
Role
Maker
Accession Number
2019.91.27.4a,b
Catalogue Raisonne
Murray et al. 2018, pl. 56
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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pair of navy blue, tightly knit gloves; three fingered glove (thumb and index finger are individual) inside sleeve covering; covers are connected by olive green cord, knotted to loops on open ends