Coverlet (yogi) with Mount Hōrai design
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.
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