"Inside Special" Antique Fireman's Jacket

This listing is for a traditional hikeshi-banten (fireman's jacket) constructed from thick, indigo-dyed cotton with a heavy sashiko-stitched weave for durability and heat resistance. These jackets could be drenched in water and retain that moisture to aid and protect the fire fighter. The jacket would have been worn by a member of a machibikeshi (town fire brigade). The exterior is a plain, deep indigo, while the interior reveals a dramatic and decorative lining of large scale kanji characters in bold, blocky, archaic script.  Firemen often displayed elaborate linings which would be dramatically revealed when they turned their jackets inside-out during festivals or after extinguishing a fire. For this jacket the kanji is quite stylized and hard to translate. Look closely to see the fine sashiko stitching that completely covers every inch of this jacket. This kind of handwork was largely discontinued by the mid-century, and that, plus the unusual lining design (more often we see dragons, koi or other auspicious motifs) suggests that this is from the early 1900, despite the excellent condition.  Coats like these are usually found in museums.  You may see others with more elaborate painting and imagery on the lining, but this is the only one we've seen with stylized ideographs.  Thus the pricing.