Storage bag (shifuku) for tea-ceremony utensil

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    19th century
  • Geography

    Japan
  • Material

    Silk
  • Dimension

    H x W (flat): 17.5 x 31.8 cm (6 7/8 x 12 1/2 in)
  • Accession Number

    FSC-T-16
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_FSC-T-16

Object Details

  • Description

    Off-white silk crepe with no decoration. The silk is heavily stained and discolored. The interior of the bag is the same fabric as the exterior fabric. The interior has an even pattern of yellow/brown staining throughout. There is a series of four holes in the interior of the bag approx. 3.5cm from the top edge of the bag and a knotted bunch of thread approx. 8.0cm from the top edge of the bag. There is a white silk rope drawstring. This is heavily discolored with dust and grime.
  • Provenance

    ?-1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), method of acquisition unknown [1]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [2]
    Notes:
    [1] This bag once held a ceramic owned by Charles Lang Freer but was separated from that ceramic at an unknown time for an unknown reason, most likely after Freer's collection was brought to Washington, DC (see note 2).
    [2] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920, upon the completion of the Freer Gallery of Art.
    Research Completed on March 23, 2022
  • Collection

    Freer Study Collection
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Japan
  • Credit Line

    Freer Gallery of Art Study Collection, Smithsonian Institution
  • Type

    Costume and Textile
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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