This magnificent kinsha silk kurofurisode represents the dramatic outer layer of the same elaborate three-piece kasane wedding ensemble as item 2410c, demonstrating how master artisans created cohesive yet distinct visual narratives across multiple garments. Following the traditional layering hierarchy, this black outer furisode would have been worn over the red middle layer and the white innermost garment (2410c), creating a sophisticated interplay of colors and motifs that honored the ancient Heian court tradition of kasane while embracing contemporary artistic innovation. The composition features six majestic cranes positioned across a twilight landscape of rolling hills and stylized clouds, their white forms creating striking contrast against the deep black silk ground, while delicate touches of coral red on their crowns echo the hidden red layer beneath.

The artistic treatment reveals the period's mastery of spatial composition, where each crane is given individual character through subtle variations in posture and expression, yet all contribute to a unified narrative of grace and transcendence. The yuzen painting is enhanced by both simple and sagara embroidery techniques that add dimensional texture to the birds' plumage and the atmospheric background. This outer garment would have created a dramatic silhouette when worn, with glimpses of the red and white layers visible at the neckline and sleeves, embodying the Japanese aesthetic principle that true luxury lies not in ostentation but in the sophisticated interplay of revealed and concealed beauty—a concept that connected Taisho-era brides to a millennium of aristocratic tradition.

Measurements:  50 inches (127 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and standing at 61 inches (155 cm) in height

Previously published in the publication Art Kimono: Aesthetic Revelations of Japan, 1905-1960, p 216

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