Short, upper garment (dujin) with pattern of plum blossoms against swastika, early 19th century
Unknown Ryukyuanexpand_more
Cloth: silk; bingata (stencil resist with applied pigments)expand_more
Gift of Thomas Murray in honor of Terumi Inoueexpand_more 2019.91.31
Not on Viewexpand_more
This short upper garment is worn in combination with a skirt, called kakan. Together they comprise the formal attire of an Okinawan commoner; an aristocrat would have added a richly decorated outer robe. The pattern here is of plum blossoms against a swastika (manji) ground. The swastika, a symbol of divinity in Indian religions, arrived in Japan with Buddhism from China after 700CE. The left-facing form of the symbol represents the auspicious footprints of the Buddha. European pagan and North American Navajo traditions also adapted the swastika; in Pueblo culture, it represents wind. Its right-facing form, however, was appropriated by the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party, and for many people its spiritual origins are overshadowed by its associations with German ultra-right nationalism and white supremacy ideology.
This garment is arguably the exhibition’s most outstanding example of bingata, the process of stencil dyeing with resist paste. The dyework is exceptionally detailed and fine, as seen in the sharpness of the swastika pattern and the delicate shading achieved in the colors of the plum blossoms.
Details
- Title
- Short, upper garment (dujin) with pattern of plum blossoms against swastika
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- 2019.91.31
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murray et al. 2018, pl. 147
- 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.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.