Vintage Reversible Souvenir Jacket, Eagle and Rising Dragons, White Face with Cream Satin Reverse, Late 1940s, Size M, Condition C

A reversible souvenir jacket from the late 1940s or early 1950s, white on its principal face, with a swooping eagle and the word Japan across the back and a rising dragon climbing each sleeve. The reverse is cream satin. Size M, collared, unlined.

The Piece

The souvenir jacket began in the years after the war, when servicemen stationed in Japan commissioned embroidered keepsakes to carry home. Those earliest examples were often reversible, giving the wearer a bold face and a quiet one, and white grounds such as this are among the scarcest to survive, since the colour shows every year it has lived.

The principal face is worked in black, gold and soft coral thread. An eagle with spread wings grips a branch beneath a flowing script Japan, a smaller eagle lifts from each side of the chest, and a dragon rises through stylised cloud along each sleeve, its flame-coloured crest picked out in coral. The jacket has a shirt-style collar, a metal zip, two hand pockets and snap-fastened cuffs. Turned inside out, the cream satin reverse carries twin Mount Fuji scenes at the chest and a black panther across the back.

Measured flat: shoulder width 47 cm (18.5 in), body width 50 cm (19.7 in), length from the back 53.5 cm (21.1 in), sleeve length from the shoulder 52 cm (20.5 in). Every measurement is taken by hand with the piece laid flat, so please allow a gentle margin of about 1 to 3 cm (0.5 to 1 in).

Details

• Type: Reversible souvenir jacket, unpadded
• Period: Late 1940s to early 1950s
• Principal face: White, embroidered eagle, Japan script and rising dragons
• Reverse: Cream satin with Mount Fuji and panther embroidery
• Closure: Metal zip, snap cuffs, two hand pockets
• Size: M
• Shoulder width: 47 cm (18.5 in)
• Body width: 50 cm (19.7 in)
• Length: 53.5 cm (21.1 in), from the back
• Sleeve length: 52 cm (20.5 in), from the shoulder

Condition

• The principal face is in good order, with the fabric and embroidery sound and the colour pleasingly even, though it shows age and some light marks.
• The satin reverse has tears and will need repair before it is worn on that side.
• Cuffs, seams and the lining edges show softening and discolouration typical of the period.

Condition grade C (fair) on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.

Authenticity & Care

There is no maker's label, as is usual for these early souvenir pieces. The metal zip, snap cuffs, hand-embroidered satin reverse and weight of the cloth are all photographed in detail for your own assessment. Entrust cleaning to a specialist in vintage textiles, store it flat or on a padded hanger, and keep it out of light.

Delivery from Japan

Shipped from Japan, insured and tracked, by EMS or an equivalent express service, arranged by our Tokyo, Japan concierge team. 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.