This boy's miyamairi kimono represents a masterful example of early 20th-century Japanese textile art, combining traditional craftsmanship with narrative storytelling through its sophisticated yuzen-dyeing, painting, and loose couching embroidery techniques. The kimono depicts the legendary tale of Kashiwade no Hanoshi confronting a tiger, a popular motif in Japanese art that symbolizes courage, strength, and the triumph of human virtue over wild nature. The composition spans across the garment's panels, creating a dynamic scene where the armored warrior, rendered in detailed traditional samurai attire with elaborate helmet ornamentation, faces the powerful tiger amid a stylized landscape of mountains and bamboo.

The artistic execution reflects the refined aesthetic sensibilities of the Meiji to Taishō periods, when Japanese artisans skillfully balanced traditional techniques with subtle modernizing influences. The color palette of muted earth tones, gold accents, and strategic use of negative space demonstrates the sophisticated restraint characteristic of Japanese design philosophy. The tiger, painted with bold strokes and naturalistic detail, contrasts beautifully with the geometric patterns of the warrior's armor, while the mountainous backdrop rendered in delicate gradations creates depth and atmosphere. The bamboo motifs scattered throughout the composition carry additional symbolic weight, representing flexibility, resilience, and moral integrity—qualities hoped to be instilled in the young boy who would wear this ceremonial garment during his Shinto blessing, marking his introduction to the protective spirits of the shrine and community.

Some small stains. The inner lining shows numerous patina stains. Measuring 34 inches (86 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and standing at 42 inches (107 cm) in height.

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