Fireman's coat
Date19th century
Maker
Japanese
Label TextThis thickly quilted coat was worn by firefighters in 19th-century Japan. It was soaked in water before it was put on to help protect the fireman. Like other firefighter coats of this period, the exterior has a brigade identification and the inside bears elaborate designs of rabbits pounding mochi (rice cake), alluding to the folklore of the rabbit in the moon.
Object number2001.417
Photo CreditPhoto: Elizabeth Mann
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, Rabbit, Cat and Horse; Endearing Creatures in Japanese Art, Dec. 21, 2002 - Mar. 16, 2003.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, Dec. 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view Feb. 8, 2020 - July 11, 2021].Published ReferencesRathbun, William Jay, Seattle Art Museum, "Beyond The Tanabata Bridge: Traditional Japanese Textiles", 1993 Seattle, Washington.
Foong, Ping, Xiaojin Wu, and Darielle Mason. "An Asian Art Museum Transformed." Orientations vol. 51, no. 3 (May/June 2020): p. 59, reproduced fig. 20 (installation view).Credit LineGift of the Christensen Fund
Dimensions49 1/4 x 49 1/4 in. (125.1 x 125.1 cm)
MediumCotton
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