Fireman's jacket, plastron and sash

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the course of the Edo period, the commoners' fire brigades took on more and more of the responsibility and expense of fighting the fires that all too often turned Edo into an inferno. The samurai firefighters' focus was to protect Edo castle. This costume is made from a blend of cotton and wool. Wool was expensive and not commonly worn in Japan before the Meiji period (1868–1912); however, it can be seen in both battle jackets (jinbaori) and firefighting garments, including capelike hoods, for high-ranking samurai of the Edo period. Wool has self-extinguishing properties that help to protect the wearer from stray sparks and make it a good choice for firefighters' clothing. The crest (mon) seen here incorporates the Japanese ginger plant (myoga), as did the mon of more than seventy families during the Edo period. The particular family to which this version of the myoga crest belongs has not been identified.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art