Ainu robe (ci-karkar-pe)

19th century

Cotton cloth was a hard-to-get commodity for the Ainu people, an ethnic group living in northern Japan. This robe was made of cotton fabric obtained through trade and scraps of fabric that were used for the applique, sewed on in geometric patterns.

Cotton; hand-woven; plain weave; cotton thread embroidery; natural indigo dye

53 3/4 x 48 3/4 in. (135.26 x 123.83 cm)

Gift of the Virginia and Bagley Wright Collection

89.161

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Beyond The Tanabata Bridge: A Textile Journey In Japan (Washington, D.C., Textile Museum, Sept. 10, 1993 - Feb. 27, 1994; Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham Museum of Art, Apr. 17 - June 26, 1994; Dallas, Texas, Dallas Museum of Art, Mar. 12 - May 28, 1995).

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Mood Indigo: Textiles from Around the World, Apr. 9 - Oct. 9, 2016.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view Dec. 10, 2021 - July 24, 2022].

Published ReferencesRathbun, William Jay, Seattle Art Museum, "Beyond The Tanabata Bridge: Traditional Japanese Textiles", 1993 Seattle, Washington. pg. 100

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