Pillow Slip

At first glance, where would you say this pillow cover came from?

The Southwest?

It's an Art Deco reproduction from a trendy store?

Nope.

It is a vintage Japanese pillow cover.

When I bid and won it on Ebay, I was surprised to find when it arrived that the original tag was still stuck to the fabric.

And it was in Kanji. I recognized the type face as ca. the 1910-1930's.

The fabric is silk challis. Even the snaps on the backing are authentic to the period.

It's probably from the Taisho Period in Japan. This period followed the reign of Emperor Meiji when the influence of Victorian western culture made huge inroads into the Japanese culture.

The Taisho Period saw the advent of motor cars, modern conveniences and the flapper era.

I actually saw this screen in Honolulu. It is nearly life-sized and absolutely stunning.

Design-wise this little pillow cover fits right in there.

The photo does not do the dye colors justice.

As a matter of fact, I have decided to take the cover off my grandmother's feather pillow (The inside is covered with now-fashionable blue-striped ticking) and find a shadow box frame in order to hang it on the wall.