Kimono-shaped bedding (yogi)

19th century

This yogi, or kimono-shaped comforter, boasts a dramatic central design of tabane noshi, a ceremonial binding originally made of bundled strips of abalone. The word for abalone, noshi, is a homonym for another word that means to extend or stretch, and has acquired the auspicious significance of long-lasting fortune. Representations of bound noshi invariably adorn gift envelopes used to present money on ceremonial occasions such as weddings, and the motif is often found on formal kimono and wedding-related textiles.

Hand-spun silk (tsumugi) with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki)

66 1/4 x 60 5/8 in. (168.28 x 153.99 cm)

Gift of the Christensen Fund

2001.493

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).

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

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

Learn more about Equity at SAM