KYUSHU, (20TH CENTURY)

This country textile was one of a number of impressive wedding gifts that would have included chests, bedding, kimono, and other textiles. The cloth was decorated in the village dye shop, but the final sewing of the fabric took place in the home. A futon cover was an important item in a wedding trousseau. The futon is a traditional form of Japanese bedding introduced around the 17th century and includes a mattress and a cover stuffed with raw cotton. Only the top part was decorated. The covers are of varying widths and are made up of panels of cloth that may be 12 to 13 inches wide. The celebratory futon cover was used on the wedding night and thereafter was used only for special guests. The motif of Chinese lion and peonies alludes to a classical noh play in which a lion appears and dances among the poenies to celebrate long life and happiness. The lion represents male energy, while the peony is a symbol of female beauty and sexuality, an auspicious image for a wedding trousseau.