Coverlet (yogi) with Mount Hōrai design

late 18th century

Not on view

Colorful and bold coverlets such as this are often featured in ukiyo-e paintings and prints. The “Mount Hōrai” design connects this piece with wedding over-robes decorated with the same subject in our collection. The motif, a mythical mountain-island (Chinese: Mount Penglai), inaccessible to mortals, conveys wishes for longevity. Mount Hōrai is here accompanied by pines, bamboo, and plum blossoms—symbols of longevity, youth and rejuvenation. When such auspicious symbols were depicted on coverlets, it was to enable them to serve as amulets to protect sleepers from bad dreams and misfortunes.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Coverlet (yogi) with Mount Hōrai design
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: late 18th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Crepe silk with resist-dyeing; silk floss wadding
Dimensions: 82 × 66 1/2 in. (208.3 × 168.9 cm)
Classification: Costumes
Credit Line: Purchase, Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation Fund and Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2018
Object Number: 2018.636
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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