ca. early to mid twentieth century
34" x 50 1/2", 86.5 cm x 128 cm

This is a beautiful and simply decorated happi coat which is a coat used for daily work or for celebrating at a matsuri, a neighborhood Shinto festival.

Of hand woven, indigo dyed cotton--the cotton being wonderful and thickly woven--this happi is hand sewn and its indigo dyed cotton shows a rich patina from wear.  It is unusually roomy and could easily be worn.

There is one resist-dyed decoration to the center, top back of the coat, a kanji, or a Chinese character.  The bottom is decorated by highly stylized kanji tilted on edge. The collar of the coat is also decorated with resist dyed kanji.

A handsome, wearable coat in fine condition and of very nicely woven, hand dyed cotton.

Beautiful.