Showa Retro: Set of 3 cushion covers in navy cotton with white sashiko embroidery, featuring 4 auspicious motifs

These are 3 navy blue cushion covers with Sashiko embroidery featuring Showa retro motifs, found in an old house in the countryside. We were told they were previously used for cushions when guests frequently visited, but in recent years, with fewer visitors, fewer cushions are needed, and these covers were stored in a fabric chest after being washed.

The Sashiko patterns depict auspicious fan motifs, symbolizing prosperity with their widening shape, drawn with thick white thread in the bottom right and top left. Within the fan, there are flowers and three leaves. Given the three leaves, it's likely the peony motif, known as the king of a hundred flowers and a symbol of wealth and honor. In the bottom left and top right, filling the spaces between the fans, one side features the asanoha ( leaf) motif, a type of auspicious pattern composed of triangles, and the other side features the shippo (seven treasures) motif, which connects circles by overlapping a quarter of each circle.

Images 1 and 4 show the three covers partially overlapped, and images 5-13 show the Sashiko embroidery on the front and inside of the covers.

These are likely handmade in Japan, and there is no color fading. We hope you will enjoy them as Showa retro Sashiko cushion covers.

While the cushion covers feature nearly identical motifs, there are slight variations in the navy blue color due to age. Additionally, due to photography, the color tones in images 1-3 may differ slightly from the other images, and the color tones in the images of the three cushion covers and close-up shots may vary slightly, but the color tones in the close-up shots are well-reproduced. Please understand.

Size: Approximately 57 cm x Approximately 51 cm