This futon cover is made of four panels of hand spun woven cotton that have been hand sewn together to make a large rectangle. This is the only way authentic old futon covers were made in Meiji Japan because loom widths were narrow, typically 12 to 14 inches. The assembled futon cloth was then dyed using a rice paste resist and all natural dyes for the colors. Indigo textiles were the fabric of the countryside in Japan, and they are wonderful examples of Japanese folk art or mingei.

The tsutsugaki technique involves freely drawn designs that are applied to cotton with paste resist squeezed through a paper cone having a tubular metal tip. The textile is then dipped repeatedly in indigo dyes. Where the paste lines had once been, white lines now remain, outlining the design in sharp contrast to the deep indigo blue background. Country dyers produced tsutsugaki textiles -- often with mythical and auspicious designs such as this one -- as bedding, wrapping clothes, banners and celebratory textiles for weddings, births and other important events. These tsutsugaki textiles were part of a bride’s trousseau which parents prepared for their daughter as a prayer for the well being of her new family as well as her happiness, so great care was taken in their handling as they were regarded as necessary for an auspicious future.

CONDITION is good, consistent with age and usage. There are three small old patched holes a couple of stains, but these do not distract from the drama of the piece. The cotton fabric is soft and subtle with a mellow fading to the dark indigo color, indicating that it has probably been washed several times over the decades. This extremely attractive large textile panel would make a very dramatic wall hanging or table covering.

The Amah (nursemaid) is dressed in a simple white cotton side-fastened top with four frog closures. Her faded pants had originally been blue. She has the larger unbound feet, showing her lower social station, and she wears a plain black cotton headband on her head. Her hair is painted black, with a carved black bun at the nape of her neck. The Amah’s wooden arms terminate in beautifully carved hands and fingers. The Baby is fastened to her back by a traditional Chinese baby carrier, which is nearly square and made of light blue embroidered silk. To each of the four corners is sewn a coarse muslin tie band, which are all brought around to the front and fastened by tying across the diagonal at the Amah’s mid-section. The Baby is positioned to look over its Amah’s shoulder.

The Baby wears printed cotton garments, with open-crotch seam striped leggings and a tiny checked and floral pattern top. A circular collar of stiffened embroidered silk covers the top. On its head, the child wears an embroidered pink silk cap with fuzzy “ears” embroidered on. The Baby is a totally separate Door of Hope doll which is tied into the carrier on the Amah’s back.

Door of Hope dolls have become highly collectible treasures, in part, because of their fascinating history. In 1900, five missionary ladies started the Door of Hope Mission in Shanghai. They opened schools for destitute young girls so they could learn to support themselves. As a means to learn sewing skills, the girls dressed dolls. These beautifully created and utterly different dolls are magnificent in their carvings and costuming. Heads and hands were carved from Chinese “Niponga wood” or pear wood, a light colored hardwood that is tough and difficult to carve. In its natural color it resembles the ivory of the Chinese skin. Touches of paint were then added for the lips, eyes and hair. The dolls were supplied by craftsmen skilled in wood carving and then meticulously dressed in Chinese clothing with amazing detail by the young girls. Frog closures, tiny undergarments and minute embroideries all accented these wonderful garments.

There were approximately 26 standard and premium characters representing differing Chinese social classes. Each girl could dress only about one doll a month, and the relatively low volume of production of these dolls has increased their scarcity. Production of Door of Hope dolls continued until the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1937, at which time most of the estimated total production of 20,000 Door of Hope dolls had already been made. The Amah and Baby pair is considered to be one of the harder-to-find premium Door of Hope characters, and this one would be a superb addition to any Door of Hope doll collection.

CONDITION overall is excellent. There is fading and minor discoloration on the clothing, both of which are consistent with age. These dolls came from the estate of a private collector. Metal doll stand is included.

About the middle of the sixteenth century, a new style of decorative finish was introduced that incorporated the texture of coarse cloth into lacquers. In this lacquered-cloth technique, which is also known as “pressed-cloth” or “red-cornered” lacquer, a fairly thin, coarse, grill-like cloth is covered with a thin layer of red lacquer, permitting the outlines of the material to be seen in slight relief. The material served two purposes. It reinforced the underlying wooden form and at the same time allowed the artist a contrasting color and texture to complement the smooth and elegant makie finish on the rest of surfaces. Lacquer boxes made in this style usually had four fairly large corner areas that revealed this undersurface, lacquered in cinnabar red. Hence this type of box came to be called “red-cornered” (“sumiaka”). This technique changed little for the next two hundred years and was usually reserved for large document boxes because their construction and finish were time-consuming and expensive. Because of the techniques involved, this style of lacquer is almost impossible to reproduce. (This unusual type of lacquer is described on page 142 and illustrated in Figure 43 in “Symbol & Substance in Japanese Lacquer: Lacquer Boxes from the Collection of Elaine Ehrenkranz” by Barbra Okada.)

CONDITION is remarkably good, considering the box’s age and fragility. There is some minor cracking in two of the corners of the cover and a few tiny dents and nicks, all of which is perfectly consistent with the condition in which these types of boxes are typically found in those rare instances when they do come on the market. A most impressive piece of early Japanese lacquer ware.

To Japanese women, hair ornaments were much more than mere accessories to feminine hair-do and attire. The comb progressed from a utilitarian object to a highly decorative one on which craftsmen and artists lavished their imagination and skill. In keeping with their inclination to beautify even ordinary items of everyday use, the Japanese turned hair ornaments into extraordinary artistic objects that mirrored the cultural and social history of the period. They reflected the life and status of their wearers, who were geisha, courtesans, ladies in the court and women in their homes. In their own small way, combs and hairpins provide a miniature glimpse of the exceptional beauty of Japanese art. (See the wonderful article “Combs and Hairpins” by Sharon Ziesnitz and Takeguchi Momoko in DARUMA 35, Summer 2002.)

CONDITION is excellent. There is the original wood holder lined with off-white silk into which the comb set fits.

Giboshi is an architectural element used on older Japanese bridges. The ends are bulbous and come to a point, resembling the onion domes in Western culture and architecture. They are often found in older Japanese bridges and on bridges in Japanese gardens, temples and shinto shrines. This giboshi was purchased in 1973 from an antiques shop on Shinmonzen Street in Kyoto, and a copy of sales original receipt is available.

CONDITION is excellent, with wonderful original patina. There is some light wear consistent with age and usage.