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This meisen silk kimono features a dynamic arrangement of flowing water currents rendered as pale mint green ribbons with white stripes that create serpentine curves across the dark brown ground, punctuated by stylized water splash motifs in coral red and chartreuse yellow. These elements capture the essence of rushing water and spray in an almost Art Deco-inspired rhythm, reflecting the period's fascination with movement, jazz-age energy, and decorative abstraction.
The water motifs carry profound symbolic significance in Japanese culture, traditionally representing purification, renewal, life force, and the constant flow of time and change. However, their treatment here shows a distinctly modern sensibility - the water splashes are rendered as highly stylized, almost flame-like forms that seem to burst and spray with kinetic energy alongside the flowing currents, creating a sense of turbulent aquatic movement. The supplementary thread highlights add textural depth and luminosity to key elements, enhancing the overall sense of dynamism and the play of light on water.
The meisen technique, which allowed for more experimental and affordable silk production, was perfectly suited to this kind of innovative design that bridged traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary international style movements. The sophisticated interplay between the flowing currents and explosive splash forms demonstrates how Japanese textile artists of this era successfully synthesized ancient symbolic vocabularies with the bold graphic sensibilities of early 20th-century modernism, creating garments that were both culturally resonant and stylistically progressive in their interpretation of water's endless movement and transformative power.
There's a subtle 2cm x 1cm patch discreetly placed on the top right shoulder. Its measurements are approximately 49 inches from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 58 inches tall (124 cm x 147 cm).