A work made of silk, plain weave with creped wefts (chirimen); stenciled and resist dyed (yûzenzome: utsushinori, hikizome, bokashizome) with gold leaf, chalk and sumi ink painted details; embroidered with silk and silver-foil-on-paper-strip-wrapped rayon in knot, single satin and satin stitches; lined with rayon, plain weave.

Uchikake

Shôwa period (1926–1989), c. 1935

Japan

The backs of the sleeves on this uchikake (outer robe) feature a design of lacquer boxes nestled among flowers. Boxes like these were used to store the pieces for the shell-matching game (kai-awase), in which the two-sided interior of a clamshell has been painted with a scene from literature or a poem and then separated. The game is played by matching the paired halves—an appropriate motif for this wedding kimono. The array of flowers is also auspicious and includes chrysanthemums as well as peonies amidst plants of all seasons.

Silk, plain weave with creped wefts (chirimen); stenciled and resist dyed (yûzenzome: utsushinori, hikizome, bokashizome) with gold leaf, chalk and sumi ink painted details; embroidered with silk and silver-foil-on-paper-strip-wrapped rayon in knot, single satin and satin stitches; lined with rayon, plain weave

Textiles