Jacket with Octopus
Unknown Artist
c. 1800–1868
Medium
Silk crepe (chirimen)
Dimensions
{"neck edge to hem":{"height":0.791},"across shoulders":{"width":1.286}}
Classification
Textile
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
L. E. Holden Fund
Accession Number
2020.66
About this artwork
With its many long arms, the octopus lends itself to a tantalizing design, with the front of this garment displaying tentacles and the back revealing the face. An octopus motif sometimes appears on costumes for the role of the Catfish Priest, a sidekick of the main villain in the Kabuki play Shibaraku (Stop a Moment!). It is also seen in genre painting during the 1600s as a logo on the uniforms of transportation staff, perhaps indicating just how much they can carry. This jacket may have recycle...