This textile displays a stunning example of Japanese yuzen painting technique on a formal winter wedding garment (kurofurisode ) from the mid-20th century. The artwork showcases a lush tropical paradise rendered in warm, earthy tones against a dramatic black background.

The composition features several key botanical elements: cycad plants with their distinctive feathery fronds rendered in coral and salmon hues, broad basho (banana plant) leaves in golden ochre and green tones, and stylized wave patterns that flow throughout the design. The waves are depicted in the traditional Japanese manner - curved, linear forms that create rhythm and movement across the garment.

The artistic style evokes the Rinpa school aesthetic with its bold use of natural motifs, dramatic color contrasts, and sophisticated compositional balance. The way the tropical vegetation is arranged across the textile surface, with plants seeming to emerge from and disappear into the black ground, reflects the Japanese principle of ma (negative space) that gives breathing room to the design elements.

The detail images reveal the remarkable craftsmanship of the yuzen technique - you can see how the dyes have been applied with precise control to create subtle gradations within the leaf forms, while metallic couching (visible as the golden linear accents) adds dimensional highlights that would catch and reflect light when worn.

This piece represents the height of Japanese textile artistry, where the 90% painted surface demonstrates the master dyer's skill in creating a wearable work of art that transforms the wearer into a living canvas of tropical splendor against the sophisticated black silk ground.

It includes a padded hem and a white second kimono inner layer called "hiyoku," along with five small family crests. Its measurements are 51 inches (129.5 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 67 inches (170.18 cm) in height.

This artwork is featured on pages 322-323 of Ceremonial Textiles of Japan, 18th to 20th Centuries. This book, published by Yorke Antique Textiles, can be previewed or purchased on our website here.

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