"Attus" Amip (Man's Coat)
c. 1860
Medium
Elm tree bark fiber, plain weave; center back and outer edges appliquéd with cotton, plain weave; underlaid with cotton, plain weave; embroidered with cotton in laid work and couching
Dimensions
140.3 × 132.8 cm (55 1/4 × 52 1/4 in.); Loom width of ground fabric: W.: 34.6 cm (13 5/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
149682
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The Ainu people of northern Japan and eastern Russia are an aboriginal group that maintains a way of life separate from that of the mainstream culture in Japan. They have their own language, religion, and material culture, all of which had been suppressed until the later 20th century—even though anthropologists, ethnographers, and art historians have long been interested in studying and preserving their traditions. The Ainu are best known for their visually striking coats as well as carved and...