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Buddhist altar cloth (uchishiki)

Japanese
Edo period
18th or 19th century
Object Place: Japan

Medium/Technique Silk twill-weave ground with silk discontinuous supplementary patterning wefts tied down with supplementary warps in twill-weave (nishiki); embroidered
Dimensions 67 x 82 cm (26 3/8 x 32 5/16 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.3929
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsTextiles

DescriptionBuddhist altar cloth (uchishiki) with design of dragons and clouds in golden brown and blue silk discontinuous supplementary patterning wefts on a blue/gold twill-weave silk ground; lined with green plain-weave silk on which is embroidered a black silk crest (mon) in the shape of a hexagon surrounding three leaves.
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850 - d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: August 3, 1911)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.