This rare cotton palanquin-bearer hanten showcases a large family crest, stripes, and rain-dragon motifs using the tsutsugaki technique. It's in very good condition, evidently seldom worn, with minor fraying where one sleeve attaches to the main garment and two discreet small holes near the bottom rear. It measures 42 inches (107 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and stands at 48 inches (122 cm) in height.

The family crest, the wisteria, carries significance within Japanese aristocracy. At the waist-level of this hanten, the two facing dragons specifically represent the rain-dragon, 'amaryu', symbolizing wisdom and strength.

During the Edo period, this type of jacket, associated with a 'norimono', was used to carry territorial lords or 'daimyo'. It served as a uniform displaying the lord's family crest. As the population increased, land availability for horses decreased, making human-powered transport more prevalent. Norimono were vital for transporting the warrior class and nobility, notably during the Tokugawa period's migrations to and from Edo (Tokyo) along Japan's central road.

Historical accounts, such as those from Kaempfer and Hildreths, describe these processions involving norimono. These were carried by uniformed men, each wearing the lord's family crest. The norimono-bearers displayed specific postures and movements, highlighting their strength and uniformity. Felice Beato, an Italian-American photographer in the early 1860s, noted the careful selection and training of these bearers for their symmetry, muscular development, and uniform height, akin to the care given to favored European State Carriage horses.