ca. late nineteenth, early twentieth century
32" x 48 1/2", 81.5 cm x 123 cm

This is an exceptionally good coat.

The exterior of this indigo dyed cotton noragi has been recycled as can be seen by the fade patterns running up and down the center seam and crosswise through the bottom quadrant.  The blue is faded to a really lovely, chalkily pale shade, still vibrant in its quiet way.

The cloth is pierced all over by thousands of sashiko stitches, the rows in tight array, 1/4" or .5 cm apart from one another: the texture yielded by this intensive stitching is beautiful to behold.

Unusual and highly attractive is the placement of the reinforcing patches on the shoulders of the coat: the diagonal placing probably best protects the coat while carrying a sling or some form of burden.  The cotton used for these askew patches is one of our favorites, a kind of basket weave cotton called sankuzushi, which is a very sophisticated and beautiful type weave.  Just gorgeous.

The interior of the coat is sewn from a striped cotton which is also patched: the interior shows off the sashiko stitching in a different way than can be seen on the coat's exterior: both inside and out this coat is a beauty.

A fabulous thing to own, and we are really proud to be offering it here today.

Recommended.