Futon Cover (Futonji)

The traditional Japanese bedding set, known as a futon, typically consists of a padded mattress and a quilted bedcover. the latter often incorporates a decorated cover that would have been made as part of a bride's trousseau. This example bears an elaborate pattern of two phoenixes—a larger male in mid-flight prepares to join a smaller female on the branch of a Paulownia tree. The combination of a phoenix with a Paulownia tree symbolizes peace, sincerity, and benevolence—appropriate attributes for a wedding textile.
-A Global View: Recent Acquisitions of Textiles, 2012-2016, April 8-September 5, 2016