dark brown coat with navy shoulder piece and light blue collar; brown reinforcement trim on armpits, neckline, and bottoms of sleeve openings; double button and loop closure on front waist, two exterior and one interior button and loop closure on neckline; six faded, white characters on front chest and faded white seal on back center

Traveling coat of paper (kamiko dōchūgi), late 19th-early 20th century

Unknown Japaneseexpand_more

Cloth: mulberry paper; hemp, buffalo horn, indigo dye, persimmon tanninexpand_more

Gift of Thomas Murrayexpand_more  2019.91.28

Not on Viewexpand_more

Though it sounds strange today, paper raincoats (kamiko) were popular in premodern Japan for their affordability. They are made of sheets of thick paper sourced from the inner bark of the mulberry plant and treated with persimmon juice and a mixture of oils from perilla seeds and tung (also called China wood). This treatment makes the paper surprisingly resilient and sturdy. The sheets are carefully pasted together, then dyed with indigo. After rubbing the surface to add sheen and create some softness, the maker cuts and sews the cloth into this garment.

An inscription on the front of the coat might refer to Nishigō-chō 西郷町, a town on Osaka Bay. The name on the front seems to be Hama-Wakabayashi 濱若林 and the roundel on the back reads Hon-Wakabayashi 本若林. Both might belong to a business owned by a person named Wakabayashi. The coat was likely used by the owner or an employee to advertise the business while on the road.

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Details
Title
Traveling coat of paper (kamiko dōchūgi)
Role
Maker
Accession Number
2019.91.28
Catalogue Raisonne
Murray et al. 2018, pl. 48
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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dark brown coat with navy shoulder piece and light blue collar; brown reinforcement trim on armpits, neckline, and bottoms of sleeve openings; double button and loop closure on front waist, two exterior and one interior button and loop closure on neckline; six faded, white characters on front chest and faded white seal on back center

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