Cloth: cotton; cotton appliqué and embroideryexpand_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 2019.20.8
Ruunpe are the most intricate and colorful of Ainu robes. Ainu women rendered Japanese trade cotton, as well as recycled silk textiles, into large, multicolored appliquéd designs. A close look reveals the sophisticated, intentional, and painstaking approach Ainu women brought to their work. In some examples, it is clear they viewed patterned cloth as an opportunity to add a vibrant design dimension, juxtaposing or interlayering it with embroidered lines and solid colors.
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