Japanese firefighter robes from the 17th-19th centuries as a separate art form (13 photos)

During the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan, fires were common—the thin wooden floors of houses could easily catch fire. Firefighters' primary task was to quickly contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings. But the uniforms Japanese firefighters wore when extinguishing fires deserve special attention—they are true works of art with their own history!







Each Japanese fire brigade from the 16th to 19th centuries wore a special uniform called hikeshi banten. These garments were tunics made of several layers of cotton or leather, decorated with various scenes on the inside. These could depict scenes from Japanese legends and history.





Creating such a tunic could take weeks. The sashiko, or "small pricks," method was used to join the layers, and the tsutsugaki method, using rice paste, was used for dyeing. Before entering the fire, the firefighters soaked the tunics in water.





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