COSTUMES
Japan
Yogi (sleeping garment)
Plain weave; Resist dyed, paste resist (tsutsugaki)
Cotton; Vegetable dye (indigo); Tsutsugaki printing
55 in. (139.7 cm) length overall
Frances and Thomas Blakemore Collection
TC 96.2-166

The lozenge pattern, brought from China, is the crest on the back of the kimono and gets its Japanese name hishi from its similarity to the water chestnut. It was popular among warrior classes and nobility. The flaming jewel (hoju) on front right panel is a Buddhist motif denoting wish fulfillment while the clove (choji) on the back brings good luck. The inexhaustible money pouch (kanabukuro) and treasure key on the back below the crest are associated with wealth and the Japanese storehouse, a fire-safe building where a family would keep their treasured possessions, respectively. The hat depicted on front right panel may be the hat of invisibility (kakuregasa) which allows the wearer to do good deeds without being seen. -- Researched by Elisa Law, Spring 2013.