Object name: Back cushion, senakaate / Collection place: Japanese archipelago, Japan / Materials: Rice straw - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Object name Back cushion, senakaate Collection place Japanese archipelago, Japan Materials Rice straw

Hearst Museum object titled Back cushion, senakaate, accession number 9-23028, described as Long, rectangular back cushion, or "senaka-ate," woven from rice straw ("wara") and consisting of two "sides" or layers. One side is 8 1-inch single-plait braids wide, lying vertically side-by-side with slight separation. They are joined by a single cord pushed through braids horizontally at their vertical midpoint. The other side of the cushion feature a basket weave: bunches of untwisted/unbraided rice straw form "warps" held in place by thin braided "wefts" spaced at roughly 5" intervals. These braids become untwisted, loose straw along the top. Entire cushion is encircled by braided "rim." Two straw cords attached at opposite points along sides form carrying shoulder straps; these cords are pushed through bottom of cushion just above rim and knotted together on opposite side. length - 22", width - 11", thickness - 1.5

Hearst Museum object titled Back cushion, senakaate, accession number 9-23020, described as Narrow, rectangular back cushion, called "senaka-ate," woven from rice straw ("wara") and made in the same shape and style as the "bandori" back cushions of the Shōnai region of Yamagata Prefecture. Shoulder straps are horizontally braided with pieces of cotton rag interwoven with rice straw at their culmination; straps are attached to lower half of bandori via rice straw cord. Rounded, U-shaped bottom with narrow strands of straw forming an unwoven "cushion" where the bandori rests against the back. Outside or "front" of bandori consists of a horizontally plaited weave. length - 26", width - 8", thickness - 2.25