Fireman's coat

19th century

Fireman’s coats often have brigade identification on the exterior and more elaborate designs in the interior. Dragons, like the two seen in this coat, were thought to have magical powers to bring water, and they would have been auspicious for a firefighter.

Cotton cloth (sashiko)

45 x 48 3/4 in. (114.3 x 123.83 cm)

Gift of the Christensen Fund

2001.410

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view July 16 - Dec. 5, 2021].

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.

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