This summer kimono demonstrates the remarkable technical mastery of kasuri ikat weaving combined with supplementary thread work, creating a sophisticated interplay between geometric abstraction and naturalistic floral motifs. The garment features bold diagonal stripes in rust red, deep black, and cream that showcase the characteristic feathered edges of kasuri technique, where threads are resist-dyed before weaving to create these softly blurred boundaries. Against this dynamic striped ground, delicate morning glory blossoms appear in muted tones of gray and pink, rendered through supplementary thread technique that allows the floral motifs to seemingly float above the underlying geometric pattern.

The morning glory (asagao) holds profound symbolic meaning in Japanese culture, representing the ephemeral beauty of life and the Buddhist concept of mono no aware—the bittersweet awareness of the impermanence of all things. These flowers, which bloom at dawn and fade by midday, serve as metaphors for fleeting beauty and the precious nature of each moment. The choice to render them in subdued, almost ghostly tones against the bold kasuri stripes creates a poetic tension between permanence and transience, structure and fragility.

The technical achievement evident in this textile reflects the sophisticated developments in Japanese weaving during the early 20th century, when traditional craft techniques were being refined and reimagined. The precise coordination required between the kasuri dyeing process and the supplementary thread work demonstrates extraordinary planning and skill, as the weaver had to anticipate how the pre-dyed warp and weft threads would align to create the diagonal stripes while simultaneously incorporating the additional threads needed for the floral motifs. This combination of techniques creates a textile that embodies both the mathematical precision of geometric design and the organic beauty of nature, reflecting the Japanese aesthetic principle of finding harmony between opposing forces.

Its measurements are 49 inches (124 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 58 inches (147 cm) in height.

‍