Leather Coat (Kawabaori) with Pattern of Large Shrimp

Leather Coat (Kawabaori) with Pattern of Large Shrimp

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

During the Edo period most kawabaori were used by townsmen who wore them for protection from the cold and for festival wear. The lively pattern of large shrimp resulted from a resist process called kataoki in which the pattern was reserved in the natural white color of the leather, while the rest was smoked to achieve a warm golden brown. The coat is reversible, with a pattern of stripes reserved in white on its other side.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Leather Coat (Kawabaori) with Pattern of Large ShrimpLeather Coat (Kawabaori) with Pattern of Large ShrimpLeather Coat (Kawabaori) with Pattern of Large ShrimpLeather Coat (Kawabaori) with Pattern of Large ShrimpLeather Coat (Kawabaori) with Pattern of Large Shrimp

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.