Samurai Formal Jacket - Late Edo Kataginu Swatch on Display Card

An Edo Period Kataginu Swatch From a Samurai Formal Jacket

This Edo period kataginu swatch is real fabric, about 1 cm across. It comes from a late Edo samurai formal jacket. A 4 in x 3 in display card holds it.

Product Details

• Specimen: Authentic Edo period fabric swatch from a late Edo samurai kataginu
• Specimen size: About 1 cm
• Period: Late Edo period, Tokugawa shogunate
• Display: 4 in x 3 in card with photos and information about the Edo period
• Includes: Mini Museum Seal of Authenticity on the card

What a Kataginu Was

The kataginu is a sleeveless jacket with wide shoulders. It was worn over a kimono as part of the kamishimo, with hakama trousers. Samurai wore the kamishimo as formal dress at court.

Families often embroidered their crest on the jacket as a status symbol.

Life in the Late Edo Years

The Edo period ran from 1615 to 1868 under the Tokugawa shogunate. The late Edo years belong to a roughly 250-year Great Peace. Armor was rarely worn and was displayed as decoration, especially at New Year.

Samurai still carried swords, mainly as a symbol of status. This samurai formal jacket belongs to that era of ceremony. Browse more in our Authentic Historical Artifacts.

Display and Care

Keep the card out of direct sun, which can fade old Edo period fabric. The swatch is small, so handle the card by its edges.

About Kamishimo Suits

The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a kamishimo suit of overvest and trousers. Its very long trousers trailed behind the wearer, giving an impression of dignity. An Edo period kataginu swatch is a small piece of that dress code.

For More Reading from the Web

• See a complete kamishimo suit in a museum collection. Kamishimo Suit of Overvest (Kataginu) and Trousers (Hakama) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art