Commoner's firefighting jacket (hikeshibanten)

19th century

The oversized spider hovering over the go board alludes to Tsuchigumo (“Earth Spider”), the Noh drama that tells the story of the warrior Minamoto Yorimitsu fighting off the monstrous earth spider, who is disguised as a monk.

Cotton cloth with indigo dye (sashiko and tsutsugaki)

38 1/2 x 50 in. (97.79 x 127 cm)

Gift of the Christensen Fund

2001.414

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Textures of Daily Life: Firefighters' Jackets from the 18th and 19th Centuries, July 17, 2004 - Jan. 17, 2005.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, Dec. 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Deities and Demons: Supernatural in Japanese Art, Oct. 20, 2022 - ongoing [on view beginning Apr. 12, 2023].

Published ReferencesHirai, Noriko, ed. "Japanese Folk Textiles: An American Collection, Kyoto: Shikosha Publishing Co., Ltd, 1988. p.23. plate 12.

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