Buddhist Priest's Robe (Kesa) with Decoration of Bamboo and Ornamented Fans

A Buddhist priest's robe known in Japan as a kesa (Sanskrit, kasaya), this rectangular garment is made up of mulitple pieces of the same cloth that together form a patchwork of rectangles and squares framed within a border. The fabric has a rich brown ground patterned with stalks of bamboo created through the use of supplementary wefts of gold and green threads. Images of multicolored arc-shaped folding fans appear scattered over the bamboo-covered surface; designs of flowers and plants were embroidered onto the faces of the fans with multicolored silk threads.