Sukajan reversible de Pherrow’s, guerrero montado en dragón sobre satén marrón y dorado, rostro de esqueleto danzante acolchado

Heroic dragon mythology on one side, a ghostly carnival on the other. A green dragon carries a richly dressed warrior across chocolate-brown satin, while the diamond-quilted reverse fills with marching, dancing and music-making skeletons: a Pherrow’s reversible that balances power and mortality.

The Piece

A vintage Pherrow’s reversible sukajan combining traditional dragon imagery with one of the most unusual skeleton compositions in Japanese souvenir-jacket fashion. The principal side is lustrous chocolate-brown satin framed by golden raglan sleeves; across the back a fierce green dragon twists through embroidered clouds carrying a richly dressed warrior, crowned by pale-blue “Japan” script, the classic language of the postwar souvenir jacket filtered through Pherrow’s vintage-revival sensibility.

Two roaring dragon heads decorate the chest in turquoise, cobalt, pink and gold thread that glows against the dark satin; braided piping follows the sleeves, and striped knit trim in brown, ivory and pale blue completes the aged athletic silhouette. At first glance it reads as a traditional souvenir jacket, but the saturated green embroidery, the unusual mounted warrior and the bronze-gold palette give it a more theatrical identity. The dragon stands for strength, authority, transformation and protective energy, its upward-curving body and open jaws driving movement across the back; the warrior adds courage and heroic resolve, and the clouds place the scene in a supernatural realm.

The reverse presents an entirely different world. Diamond-quilted cream satin descends into a dark painted horizon populated by skeletons that march, dance and make music; some hold umbrellas, fans or instruments, others gesture and tumble, parading in a continuous procession across the front, back and sleeves, finished with brown, black and ivory striped knit trim. Against the fading boundary between cream and black they seem to emerge from shadow, turning the wearer into part of an animated nocturnal scroll.

Dancing skeletons have a long presence in Japanese popular art, where death may be met with satire, spectacle and humor as well as fear. The parade suggests that rank, wealth and worldly seriousness all dissolve into the same rattling procession, yet nothing here is mournful: the figures dance, gesture and make music, a lively memento mori that balances heroic spectacle with dark humor.

Pherrow’s, established in 1991, became known for Japanese-made American casual clothing and historically informed flight-jacket reproductions, which supports a late twentieth- or early twenty-first-century date rather than a mid-century one. The reversible construction, historical souvenir-jacket proportions and traditional dragon imagery reflect the brand's interest in vintage American and military clothing, while the skeleton procession brings the inventive narrative styling of later Japanese revival fashion. It is best presented as a genuine older Pherrow’s collector piece of approximately the late 1990s through the 2000s, not an original 1950s souvenir jacket. Displayed open, the two sides hold a conversation between the heroic and the macabre; worn, they move from golden dragon armor to an after-dark procession with one turn of the zipper.

Details

• Maker: Pherrow’s (フェローズ)
• Era: Approximately late 1990s to 2000s (assessed)
• Material: Satin-finish fabric, consistent with synthetic or rayon-finish satin; quilted satin reverse; multicolor rayon-style embroidery thread; rib-knit trim; braided piping; metal zipper
• Color: Chocolate brown with golden-yellow sleeves; reverse cream and dark quilted satin
• Size: Compact vintage Japanese fit; approximately modern Western S–M
• Measurements: Body length 60 cm / 23.6 in · Chest width, armpit to armpit 53 cm / 20.9 in · Sleeve length from neck 78 cm / 30.7 in · Underarm sleeve length 46 cm / 18.1 in · Relaxed hem width 49 cm / 19.3 in (taken flat, approximate)
• Garment: Reversible sukajan / Japanese souvenir bomber jacket
• Construction: Reversible raglan bomber; reversible full metal zipper; slanted pockets; striped rib-knit collar, cuffs and waistband; braided sleeve piping
• Lettering: “Japan” embroidered across the dragon-side back

Condition

• Vintage pre-owned condition with visible wear, aging and character; the dragon composition remains colorful and clearly defined, and the skeleton artwork keeps a strong graphic presence.
• Wrinkling and creasing throughout both sides, scattered marks and dark spots on the gold sleeves, and uneven sheen and rubbing across the satin.
• Small pulls, thread irregularities and embroidery wear; wear around the zipper and pocket areas; general discoloration and patina from age, handling and storage.
• Noticeable wear, thinning and small holes in portions of the rib-knit trim, with stretching and distortion around the waistband and cuffs; the ribbing should be examined closely in the photographs.
• No large body-panel tear is apparent; offered as a vintage collectible with visible patina rather than a pristine contemporary garment.

Sizing Guidance

The proportions suggest approximately a modern Western S to M depending on body shape, layering and preferred silhouette. Compare the measurements with a similar jacket that fits comfortably rather than relying on a general size conversion.

Authenticity & Care

Attributed to Pherrow’s (フェローズ); the brand's 1991 founding places the jacket in the late twentieth or early twenty-first century rather than mid-century. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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