Suō Outer Garment |
Take (length) 94.8 cm, yuki-take (from neck center to sleeve end) 92.5 cm; Edo period, dated 1849; Gift of the Ii Family |
The suō is an outer garment made of hemp, worn by male commoners and as informal attire by samurai. This design exudes the coolness of water with its depiction of swimming carp and water plants against a blue ground. The patterns were painted with a brush after resist dyeing of the cloth in the ground color. This garment was passed down by the Maeda daimyo family of Kaga domain.