This exquisite silk uchikake features a rinzu (damask) base adorned with large fan and paulownia motifs. Its captivating design features splendid yuzen-painted plum blossom motifs, delicately embroidered family crests, and other highlights. While the images might appear to have a red cast, it's the result of the inner lining's color peeking through the outer cloth; the true color is white. Measuring 48 inches from sleeve-end to sleeve-end by 62 inches in height (122 cm by 157 cm), this uchikake symbolizes purity and nobility through its depiction of plum blossoms. The plum blossom, symbolizing new life at the end of winter, holds deep cultural significance in Japan. The style and imagery on this uchikake resonate with the design found on an early 19th-century kimono by the artist Sakai Hoitsu, detailed on page 184 of "When Fashion Became Art."

This artwork is featured on page 73 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.

and in Arts of Asia, January-February 2018, 132

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