Surcoat (Jinbaori) for a Boy

Japanese surcoats (jinbaori) for boys are relatively rare (for one other example in the Metropolitan Museum of art see acc. no. 2012.57). In addition, while Chinese silk is sometimes used on the facing of the lapels or for other highlights, it is very unusual to find a surcoat with an exterior made entirely of Chinese silk. The combination of these two traits––a surcoat for a boy made predominantly of Chinese silk––plus the richness of the fabric and its excellent state of preservation, distinguish this surcoat as a very important example.

The exterior body of the surcoat is made from one continuous piece of Chinese silk woven with a repeating pattern of six horizontal rows: three rows of five-clawed dragons amid clouds alternating with three rows of Chinese lions and clouds, all on a dark blue ground and highlighted with silver metallic thread. Each row of dragons and lions has a different color scheme. The upstanding collar, the backs of the lapels and the two lapel tabs are covered in the same material. The face of the lapels is covered with a different silk, woven with floral motifs and dragons, but probably also Chinese in origin. The interior of the surcoat is lined with an unpatterned orange Japanese silk. The narrow horizontal bands at the shoulders are covered with off-white silk overlaid with stitching in a netlike pattern. All of the edges of the garment are trimmed with a narrow piping of silver and white braid. There is an ivory button on the end of one lapel tab. There is a copper fastener at the top inside corner of each lapel for securing the lapels in a folded back position.