This rinzu silk haori features an intricate interplay between two levels of bamboo leaf motifs: the underlying damask weave creates a subtle self-figured pattern in the silk itself, while bold black bamboo leaves are applied over this foundation, creating an unusually complex visual dialogue between surface and substrate. The dramatic purple gradient background—ranging from deep violet at the edges to pale lavender in the center—provides a striking chromatic foundation that was relatively unconventional for traditional Japanese textiles of this period.

The bamboo motif carries profound symbolic weight in Japanese culture, representing resilience, flexibility, and moral uprightness due to the plant's ability to bend without breaking in strong winds. This symbolism takes on particular resonance during the Showa period's early decades, when Japan was navigating significant social and political transformations. The artistic treatment reflects the influence of contemporary graphic design sensibilities, with its bold contrast and simplified forms that echo both traditional ink painting traditions and emerging modernist aesthetics. The layering technique employed here—where figuration appears both in the weave structure and surface decoration—represents an innovative approach that challenges conventional hierarchies between textile ground and pattern, creating a visual complexity that rewards close examination while maintaining the elegant restraint essential to Japanese aesthetic philosophy.

Measuring about 50 inches (127 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end, this haori stands at a height of approximately 38 inches (97 cm)..

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