This fine silk ceremonial miyamairi kimono, crafted for a boy's initiation at a Shinto shrine, showcases yuzen-dyed motifs depicting the story of Urashima Taro leaving the Ryugujyo underwater palace. It features painting and couching embroidery highlights, measuring 33 inches (84 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and standing at 40 inches (102 cm) in height.

The folktale of Urashima Taro is the tale of a young fisherman who rescues a small turtle being tormented by children. This turtle turns out to be the daughter of the Emperor of the Sea, who invites Taro to the underwater Palace of the Dragon God (Ryugujo) to express gratitude. There, Taro meets and spends time with the Emperor's daughter, Otohime, but eventually desires to return to his village and aging mother. Upon departing, Otohime gifts him a mysterious box called tamatebako, advising him never to open it.

Upon Taro's return to his village, he finds everything changed and discovers that 300 years have passed since his departure. Overwhelmed by grief, he inadvertently opens the box, releasing a cloud of white smoke that ages him instantly, turning his beard white and bending his back. From the sea, the sorrowful voice of the princess resonates, revealing that the box contained his old age.

The tale illustrates the consequences of disobeying the princess's warning, resulting in Urashima Taro's unwitting loss of the years he spent in the underwater palace.

This artwork is featured on pages 26-263 of Ceremonial Textiles of Japan, 18th to 20th Centuries. This book, published by Yorke Antique Textiles, can be previewed or purchased on our website here.

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