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Knife cover (tantô bukuro)
Japanese
Edo period
18th or 19th century
Object Place: Japan
Medium/Technique
Silk twill-weave ground with silk and gilt paper strip discontinuous supplementary patterning wefts tied down with supplementary warp in twill-weave
Dimensions
Overall: 39 x 10 x 1.5 cm (15 3/8 x 3 15/16 x 9/16 in.)
Other (Cord): 43 cm (16 15/16 in.)
Other (Cord): 43 cm (16 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.3781
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsTextiles
DescriptionKnife cover (tantô bukuro) with design of tortoise-shell pattern (kikko-mon) and Chinese flower motifs (karahana) in blue, green, orange and white silk and gilt paper strip discontinuous supplementary patterning wefts on a reddish-orange twill-weave silk ground. The cover is constructed of a length of fabric folded over and stitched together of three sides with a black plain-weave silk lining and has a black silk cord attached at one side through a carrier. The cover was probably made with fabric from a robe (karaori).
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850 - d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: August 3, 1911)
NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.
NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.