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Futon cover

Futon cover

  • Place of origin:

    Japan (made)

  • Date:

    late 19th century-early 20th century (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Plain weave cotton, with tubework paste-resist decoration

  • Museum number:

    FE.71-1984

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

  • Image in copyright

The futon is the traditional form of Japanese bedding and consists of a mattress and cover both stuffed with raw cotton. This futon cover was probably part of a bride's trousseau, and would have been used on the wedding night. Its auspicious motif, that of a hôô bird, was designed to bring good fortune to the couple in their new life together. The hôô, translated as a phoenix in English although it bears little relation to its western equivalent, represents peace and prosperity. This mythical bird is the female counterpart of the dragon, and its many feathers represent the virtues of truthfulness, propriety, righteousness, benevolence and sincerity. It is generally depicted, as here, with a paulownia tree, which, according to legend, is the only plant on which the bird will sit.

Physical description

Quilt cover (futonji) of stiff blue plain weave cotton consisting of four loom widths seamed together vertically.
The large-scale design of a phoenix bird flying above a rock with paulownia branches growing from it was executed by the tubework resist and painting method (tsutsugaki).

Place of Origin

Japan (made)

Date

late 19th century-early 20th century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Plain weave cotton, with tubework paste-resist decoration

Dimensions

Length: 146.0 cm, Width: 130.5 cm

Object history note

Registered File number 1984/2209.

Descriptive line

Futonji, blue plain weave cotton with tubework paste-resist decoration, Japan, late 19th-early 20th century

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Jackson, Anna, Japanese Country Textiles, London: V&A Publications, 1997, page 40, fig. 21

Materials

Cotton (textile)

Techniques

Plain weave; Resist-dyeing

Subjects depicted

Rocks; Phoenix birds; Paulownia

Categories

Household objects; Textiles

Collection code

EAS

Qr_O23351
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