Attush robe with exceptional decoration of fish bones and tassels, 18th century
Unknown Ainuexpand_more
The Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation; purchase from the Thomas Murray Collectionexpand_more 2022.6
Not on Viewexpand_more
This utterly unique robe is an exciting document of the cultural exchange between the peoples of Japan’s far north and their neighbors. Unlike any other known Ainu robe, this one is decorated with objects: silk tassels and talismanic pendants created from sea creatures, mostly sturgeon scales. The garment itself can be dated to the 18th century, and the decoration was added later. The sturgeon scales originated in the Russian Far East; either they were traded south to Hokkaido or the robe made its way north. One theory is that this robe was owned by the captain of a Japanese merchant ship (kitamaebune) that sailed the trade route from Hokkaido south to Nagasaki. Such captains are known to have fancied rare, exceptional robes they picked up on their journeys.
Details
- Title
- Attush robe with exceptional decoration of fish bones and tassels
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- 2022.6
- 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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