[Blue kyodai yutan (furniture cover) with white oak leaf cluster mon, Hawaii, ca. 1936]

Suzuki, Elaine Yayoe
Shigemura, Ko

Description

1 furniture cover : cotton ; 40.5 x 15.25 in.

Long royal blue cotton yutan (furniture cover) for kyodai (low dressing table with long mirror) with red ties (14.25 x 0.625 in.) on sides and white appliqued mon (family crest) of oak leaf cluster (6 in. diameter) for bride's dowry. The crest was hand drawn on natural muslin fabric and stitched by machine onto the front of cover. Top is rounded and there are long slits at sides that are secured with red ties; a red decorative knot is located at top of slits.

History
Elaine Yayoe Suzuki, married June 27, 1936, sewed this cover for her dowry. Mrs. Ko Shigemura drew the oak leaf cluster mon (Japanese family crest) and appliqued by sewing maching. Mon were usually hand painted

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Hirasaki National Resource Center at the Japanese American National Museum (hnrc@janm.org).