Original Imperial Japanese WWII Era Silk Senninbari Vest with Hand-Painted Kanji on Back
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an interesting Japanese vest from the WWII period, painted on the back with a great deal of Kanji characters. The vest is covered in silk, with a three-button front closure and two interior breast pockets. There are no markings other than the Kanji on the back, which is difficult to translate due to the heavy wear of the material. We are not sure if this is a Sennibari as the stitching is all in the quilting, but it very well may be.
The vest has a three-button front closure with the buttons on the interior side, very interesting. There are some period repairs and heavy staining across the material. It will take some research work to translate the Kanji, an exciting opportunity.
Ready for further research and display.
A Senninbari (千人針 thousand-person-stitches) or One-thousand stitch is a strip of cloth that measures approximately 15 cm (6 in) high and up to 90–120 cm (3–4 ft) or more in length. Each end of the belt (sash) may or may not have strings, snaps or buttons that allow it to be fastened about the waist. Examples that lack these were often tucked into the waist. Other variations were never worn but may have been folded and placed inside helmet liners, pockets or packs. Senninbari were decorated with 1000 knots or stitches, and each stitch was normally made by a different woman. Senninbari were given as an amulet by women to soldiers on their way to war as a part of the Shinto culture of Imperial Japan.
Approximate Measurements
Collar to shoulder: 5.5"
Shoulder to shoulder: 11"
Chest width: 5.5”
Waist: 16.5"
Front length: 21.5"
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