This is a beautiful example of a meisen-omeshi silk-rayon blend hitoe (unlined summer kimono), featuring an enchanting design of flying swallows (tsubame) against vertical striped bands in shades of blue.

The design shows white and golden-yellow swallows in dynamic flight poses scattered across alternating bands of deep indigo blue and lighter blue-gray vertical stripes. The swallows are depicted in the characteristic Japanese artistic style with their distinctive forked tails and swept-back wings, capturing the graceful movement of these birds in flight. Some birds appear in pure white while others have golden-yellow coloring, creating visual variety and depth.

The meisen weaving technique was popular during this period and allowed for complex pictorial designs to be woven directly into the fabric rather than applied afterward. Several of the detail images reveal the textile's structure - you can see the characteristic omeshi weave with its slightly irregular, textured surface that creates a raspy, crisp texture. The weave shows how the swallow motifs are integrated into the fabric structure itself, with the pattern emerging from the interplay of different colored warp and weft threads.

The vertical striping creates a sense of movement that complements the flying birds, while the blue color palette evokes sky and summer breezes - perfect for a summer kimono. The swallow motif is traditionally associated with good fortune, safe travels, and the arrival of spring and summer in Japanese culture, making it an auspicious and seasonally appropriate design for warm-weather wear.

This piece represents the modernization of kimono design during the early 20th century, when new weaving technologies allowed for more complex patterns while maintaining traditional aesthetic principles.

Its measurements are approximately 46 inches from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 58 inches in height, or about 117 centimeters by 147 centimeters.

This artwork is featured on page 224 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.

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