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, gold threads
  • Dimension

    H x W (flat): 11 x 17 cm (4 5/16 x 6 11/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    FSC-T-27
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_FSC-T-27

Object Details

  • Description

    Light brown, dark brown and rust silk with a woven floral motif. This bag is in very poor condition. More than half of this fabric is missing.The silk is still actively shattering and small fibers are being shed because of this. The solid brown silk under panel is exposed throughout most of the bag. The interior is lined with gold silk with a lighter gold floral motif woven throughout. One of the exterior panels is heavily torn along the edge and there is also a vertical tear (4.5cm). The drawstring is missing.
  • 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

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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