This antique silk kimono, originally worn by a boy for a Shinto coming-of-age ceremony, features a 'takarabune' ('treasure ship') adorned with yuzen-painting and embroidery highlights. It exhibits some light staining on the front and back and measures 39 inches (99 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end, with a length of 42 inches (107 cm).

The imagery on the ship includes treasures associated with the seven gods of good fortune, such as the key to the gods' storehouse, Daikoku's hammer, bails of hay, sacred jewels on the sail, an inexhaustible money bag, and an invisibility-inducing hat. Legend has it that the takarabune arrives in port on New Year's Eve, granting happiness and luck to believers. Children receive red envelopes adorned with the takarabune containing money on this auspicious evening. Many people also place depictions of the seven Gods and the takarabune under their pillow at New Year's to ensure prosperity and pleasant dreams for the coming months. In case of nightmares, setting the picture adrift in a river or sea is believed to neutralize any associated bad luck.

Depicted with full sails, laden with food and treasures, prints of the ship often include an auspicious palindromic poem: "During the endless night, half sleeping, half waking, I hear sounds of a ship sailing over the wave crests -- Oh, I know it is bringing good fortune!"

This artwork is featured on pages 250-253 of Ceremonial Textiles of Japan, 18th to 20th Centuries. This book, published by Yorke Antique Textiles, can be previewed or purchased on our website here.

The piece is also featured on page 96 of the summer 2018 edition of HALI magazine.

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