Samurai leather firefighting coat (kawabaori)
Datelate 18th century
Maker
Japanese
Label TextIn the Edo period, firefighters often wore thickly woven, reversible cotton coats. Samurai-class firefighters, who were usually the head of the brigade, wore a variety of garments, including those made of wool or leather. This fireman’s coat, although leather, is also reversible. The diamond pattern is on the inside, not exposed during firefighting; the exterior is dyed blue with indigo.
Object number89.93
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 Art Museum, Textures of Daily Life: Firefighters' Jackets from the 18th and 19th Centuries, July 17, 2004 - Jan. 17, 2005.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Gentleman Warrior: Art of the Samurai, Mar. 16 - Dec. 1, 2019.Published References"Selected Works." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1991, p. 199
Rathbun, William Jay. "Beyond The Tanabata Bridge: Traditional Japanese Textiles". Seattle, Washington: Seattle Art Museum, 1993, p. 124Credit LineGift of the Virginia and Bagley Wright Collection
Dimensions37 x 52 1/8 in. (93.98 x 132.4 cm)
MediumLeather with paste-resist stencil decoration, smoke induced color (fusube-gawa or inden)
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