This is a large Japanese indigo dyed jacket, or hanten, decorated with a rice paste resist dye technique. It is very likely that a stencil was used though the appearance has an appealing freehand quality to it.

This jacket is hand stitched from indigo dyed cottons. Pockets, with simple button closures, appear to have been added to the inside of the jacket at a later date with machine stitching. The garment has also been reinforced and repaired along the neck with sashiko stitching and subtle repairs.

Across the back and the sleeves is the kanji 亥 which represents the boar or pig of Chinese zodiac.

This coat is oversized, has a wonderful feel and a beautiful deep indigo color. It is a great example of a textile that has been constructed of early cotton cloth and then added to throughout the years as more amenities and conveniences of modern life developed.

Dimensions: Sleeve to Sleeve 48in (122cm) ; Length 42in (106cm) Early to mid 1900s

For more antique Japanese textiles, please visit our online gallery at: http://www.orimetextiles.com