Rare Japanese Fireman's Four-Piece Assemble Meiji to Showa Period

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A rare four-piece Japanese Fireman's assemble (Shobosho uniform) woven with heavy cotton and decorated with stencil resist dye circa 1890-20s … Read more A rare four-piece Japanese Fireman's assemble (Shobosho uniform) woven with heavy cotton and decorated with stencil resist dye circa 1890-20s Late Meiji to Showa Period. The assemble consists of a long jacket (Hikeshi-Haten), a heavy-padded hooded hat (Hikeshi-Zukin) and a pair of long gloves. The pieces appear to be an original set preserved in fine condition, which is rare considering the age and nature of the material. They were uniform traditionally worn by firemen in Japan fighting the fire, a very important profession during Edo and Meiji time when fire could be extremely devastating for the wood buildings.
The jacket features three wide white bands branching in the front, circumvent the sides and converge in the midline of the back. Kanji words Shobosho was stenciled on the either side of the outer lapel. Inside, Kanji characters "Takasago" was stenciled might be the name of the owner. On the center of the back, a large character "Miya" was prominently featured in a red circle. This is likely the name that distinguishes the name and/or the location of the fire department. The hooded hat features a heavily padded crown with flip-down cover and multiple layers of protections. Matching banded design and same Character 'Miya" were used on the front and back side of the hat. The pair of the glove has a matching material and patina as well.
When fully opened as shown in picture 1, the jacket measures: 47"H x 50"W; the hat measures 30"H x 20"W and the gloves measure 21"H x 7"W.
This rare assemble will make a great addition to a Japanese textile collection. See less