Robe with stitched cloths
HI 5618 Hokkaido
Ainu people redesigned previously worn cotton clothes from Honshu, Japan’s main island. They shortened the length and sleeves, and applied ethnic motifs through embroidery and/or stitched cloths. Although these newly attached cloths had the practical purpose of reinforcing such vulnerable parts as the back, waist, and cuffs, they also convey a vivid ethnic sense of beauty.