1966 Pleiku Viet-Nam Tour Jacket, Embroidered Map, Tiger Head and Dragon Sleeves, Black Twill with Ivory Lining
1966 Pleiku Viet-Nam Tour Jacket, Embroidered Map, Tiger Head and Dragon Sleeves, Black Twill with Ivory Lining
- Dispatch
- Prepared and sent from Tokyo within 7–14 days, often sooner, or as arranged
- Arrival
- United States · usually 4–7 days after dispatch, insured and tracked
- Import
Duties and customs · View the estimate
A guide for this piece: about $189, based on the 10% US charge on the declared value of goods made in Japan.
The final figure is set by US Customs and depends on where the piece was made and the kind of object it is. Many antiques over a century old carry no ordinary duty; most jewellery and leather goods add a single-digit rate.
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- Sizing
- Measured flat by hand, pit to pit and length, in centimetres · Find your size · Ask before you buy
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An early-war Vietnam tour jacket dated 1966, embroidered PLEIKU above a multicoloured map of Vietnam, with a tiger head and the character for good fortune on the chest and dragons down both sleeves.
The Piece
Pleiku in the Central Highlands was home to Camp Holloway and a major II Corps base from the first years of the American build-up; the attack on it in February 1965 helped trigger the escalation of the war. Tour jackets naming Pleiku and dated 1966 come from that first large wave of deployments, and dated early-war pieces are the ones collectors prize most.
The back is embroidered 'PLEIKU' in white capitals above a map of Vietnam in red, blue, green and yellow, with towns stitched along the coast, and 'VIET-NAM 1966' below. On the chest sit a gold 福 for fortune and a snarling tiger head; beneath the tiger is a Vietnam War Veteran ribbon patch, a later addition sewn on by its owner. Gold and red dragons climb each sleeve.
This is the Vietnamese-tailored shape rather than the Japanese baseball jacket: a black-brown cotton-blend twill with a shirt collar, a full zip with a brick-red tape, buttoned cuffs and slash pockets, lined in ivory satin. The ink mark 'PK 65' inside the back neck appears to be a tailor's or owner's marking.
It is a generous size: shoulder 50 cm, chest 58 cm, length 61.5 cm and sleeve 59 cm, a modern large.
Details
- Designer: Unsigned Vietnamese tour-jacket tailor
- Season: Dated 1966
- Model / ref: Vietnam tour jacket, Pleiku
- Material: Cotton-blend twill shell; satin lining; rayon thread embroidery
- Colour: Black-brown with ivory lining
- Made in: Vietnam
- Tagged size: No size label (fits a modern L)
- Measurements: Shoulder 50 cm · Chest (pit to pit) 58 cm · Sleeve 59 cm · Length 61.5 cm
- Included: Jacket only
Condition
- Embroidery bright and complete.
- Large water stain to the lining at one underarm, as pictured.
- General marks and yellowing to the ivory lining; a small hole near the zip.
- The veteran ribbon patch on the chest is a later addition.
- Zip works; cuff buttons present.
Condition grade B on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.
Authenticity & Care
The labels, materials, stitching, hardware and construction are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch; anything that cannot be confirmed is stated plainly in the description. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Hang on a broad hanger away from direct sun; spot-clean only, and leave any washing to a specialist used to vintage embroidery.
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. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.
Every figure above is taken by hand with the garment laid flat, in centimetres. Lay a shirt or jacket you already love beside them and allow a centimetre or two of margin, the quiet safeguard on a final sale. Our size guide to tops and jackets turns pit-to-pit figures into US, UK, EU and Japanese sizes, and for anything it leaves open the curator team replies within one Tokyo business day.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Pieces over $1,000 may be reserved over several payments with Layaway Privilege™.
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Early-War Pieces Located
If you are searching for a jacket from a particular base, unit or year in Vietnam, our Hunting Salon can look in Japan for it. Our Hunting Salon™ locates a specific reference across Japan’s private collector circles, then inspects, documents and delivers it to you. Begin a Hunting Salon™ request →
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