Travel cape (bōzugappa), late 19th-early 20th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Cloth: cotton and paper; yoko-gasuri (weft ikat)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 2019.20.76
Not on Viewexpand_more
Travel capes are called bōzugappa in Japanese, which means “priest’s raincoat.” They were modeled on capes worn by Portuguese missionary priests, who arrived in Japan in 1549. While the prefix “bōzu” is Japanese in origin, “gappa” is derived from the Portuguese ”capa,” meaning “cape.” Between the outer layers of cotton cloth, these capes usually incorporate a layer of mulberry paper treated with persimmon tannin. Made from the fermented juice of unripe persimmon fruits, this substance is applied to the paper in successive layers, giving it a leathery toughness and flexibility. It also makes the paper waterproof. For a traveler on the open road, capes provided a measure of protection from wind and rain and also offered some warmth.
Details
- Title
- Travel cape (bōzugappa)
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- 2019.20.76
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murray et al. 2018, pl. 95
- 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.