Chikarkarpe robe

The Ainu, one of Japan’s Indigenous peoples, are native to Hokkaido, Sakhalin, and Kuril Islands. In the Ainu language, chikarkarpe means “the things we embroider” and refers to garments that were made with cotton, which was obtained from Japanese merchants. The abstract geometric pattern on this garment is typical of Ainu decoration and was believed to protect the wearer from evil spirits, which is why the patterns appear at the robe’s openings—at the sleeves, hem, and shoulders. Ainu women created the patterns and passed them down to other women in their families.