This exquisite susohiki represents a masterful fusion of textile art and theatrical culture from early 20th-century Japan. The garment showcases the yuzen painting technique, a sophisticated resist-dyeing method that allows for painterly effects on silk, evident in the detailed portraits of kabuki actors that grace the lower portion of the kimono. The composition demonstrates elements reminiscent of Japanese woodblock print aesthetics, particularly in how the figures are rendered with bold outlines, flat color planes, and dramatic poses characteristic of ukiyo-e actor prints that celebrated kabuki stars of the era.

The artistic arrangement reveals a sophisticated understanding of pictorial space, with the theatrical figures positioned against a cream-colored ground that transitions into a striking bamboo fence pattern rendered in bold black and white vertical stripes. This geometric motif provides both visual weight at the garment's base and likely references a specific stage setting, creating a narrative connection between the depicted actors and their performance context. The embroidered highlights, visible in the detailed cherry blossom motif shown in the second image, demonstrate the integration of multiple textile techniques—the delicate white flower with its blue accents sits atop a background of flowing blue ribbons dotted with white, showcasing the kind of dimensional embellishment that elevates yuzen painting into sculptural territory.

The overall design philosophy reflects the Meiji and Taishō period's embrace of both traditional Japanese aesthetics and a growing sophistication in textile arts that paralleled developments in other Japanese art forms. The dramatic contrast between the garment's solid black upper portion and the richly decorated lower section creates a visual hierarchy that would have been particularly effective in dance performance, where the trailing hem would spread across the stage floor, transforming the dancer into a living artwork that celebrated Japan's theatrical heritage.

Adorned with five mon (family crests), it measures 50 inches (127 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and stands at 68 inches (173 cm) in height.

This artwork is featured on page 59 of Art Kimono: Aesthetic Revelations of Japan, 1905-1960. This book, published by Yorke Antique Textiles, can be previewed or purchased on our website here.  This textile is also illustrated on page 398 of our other book, Ceremonial Textiles of Japan, 18th to 20th Centuries, which can be found here

and in Arts of Asia, January-February 2018, 134

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