M.E. Sayers Vintage Children and Peony Label Denim Jacket

The Story

This label is gentle where so many export designs are bold, and printed large across the back of a denim jacket that tenderness becomes a real statement. Two children sit close together, both in red kimonos patterned with white polka dots, one cradling a violin, the other leaning toward a large blooming peony rendered in deep pink and teal. Their faces are round and serene, hair dark and neatly styled, the whole scene set against a finely patterned pale blue ground. At the base, in clear lettering, the label reads "M.E. Sayers & Co., Cheribon & Batavia," naming the trading firm and the two Javanese port cities it operated from: Cheribon, now Cirebon, on the north coast, and Batavia, the colonial capital now known as Jakarta.

M.E. Sayers & Co. was a trading company in the Dutch East Indies, and this label was almost certainly commissioned by the firm directly from a Japanese match manufacturer, a standard arrangement in the early twentieth century when colonial trading houses ordered custom-branded matches for their own distribution networks. The choice of two gentle children with a peony, a flower symbolising prosperity, honour and good fortune across East Asian cultures, was a soft and auspicious image, quite different in tone from the fierce animals and deities of other export runs. It is a small, warm scene carrying a large and complicated history of trade between Japan, the Netherlands and Southeast Asia.

On the denim jacket the label is printed large and bold across the back panel, the red, blue and pink reading vividly against the medium blue wash. This is a statement piece, the kind of jacket that turns heads from behind and rewards anyone who comes close enough to read the detail.

Who Is It For

This jacket is for pop art lovers, vintage fashion enthusiasts and anyone who wants to wear a real conversation piece. It suits someone drawn to the tenderness of the scene, the layered red-and-blue palette, and the deep history of a Dutch trading firm in colonial Java ordering matches from a Japanese factory. A back print this size is a commitment, and it is for the person who wants their outerwear to do some talking. It pairs as easily with black jeans as it does with the contrast of its own denim.

Available Colors

Medium Denim Wash: The classic medium blue wash is a natural home for this label. The patterned blue ground sits in easy harmony with the denim while the red kimonos and pink peony pop warmly against the cool tones, and the whole back panel reads like a piece of wearable folk art. Timeless and charming at once.

About the Collection

Every design in the Ichinichi Collection is sourced from a personal archive of original Japanese matchbox labels spanning 1880 to 1940. The M.E. Sayers & Co. label is one of the archive's Dutch East Indies pieces, a custom commission for a trading firm operating from Cheribon and Batavia in colonial Java. The tender scene of two children with a peony makes it one of the gentlest and most charming labels in the collection.

Product Details

Material: 90% cotton, 6% polyester, 3% rayon, 1% spandex, fiber content varies slightly by size. Fit: Relaxed fit. Collar: Lapel collar with button-front closure. Pockets: Front slant pockets. Wash: Medium denim wash. Label: Sewn-in on bottom left side. Print: Large back panel.