This kurofurisode represents a pinnacle of early 20th-century Japanese textile artistry, executed on luxurious chirimen silk with its characteristic crepe texture that provides an ideal surface for the sophisticated yuzen painting technique. The garment presents a sublime interpretation of Mount Horai (Hōrai-san), the mythical island paradise from Chinese Daoist tradition that became deeply embedded in Japanese cultural imagination as a symbol of immortality and transcendent beauty. The composition masterfully orchestrates the classical elements associated with this sacred landscape: dynamic ocean waves rendered in brilliant blue with white foam caps crash against weathered rocky shores, while ancient pine trees with their gnarled branches and dense green foliage cling to the cliff faces, embodying endurance and longevity.

Above this earthbound drama, elegant cranes with their distinctive red crowns and pristine white plumage soar through the dark upper register of the kimono, their forms scattered across the garment like celestial messengers. The artist has employed a dramatic tonal contrast, setting the vibrant blues and greens of the seascape against the deep black ground. The execution demonstrates extraordinary technical mastery, with subtle gradations in the wave patterns and naturalistic rendering of the pine needles and crane feathers enhanced by strategic embroidery that adds dimensional richness and luminous highlights.

For a wedding kurofurisode, this imagery carries profound symbolic weight - Mount Horai represents the perfect union of earthly and celestial realms, while the cranes symbolize marital fidelity and longevity, and the evergreen pines represent steadfast devotion through all seasons of life. The dynamic interplay between the turbulent waves and the serene flight of the cranes suggests the harmony that can be achieved between life's challenges and transcendent love.

It measures 49 inches (124 cm) across the sleeves and stands at 62 inches (157 cm) in height.

This artwork is featured on page 104 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.  This textile is also illustrated on page 344-45 of our other book, Ceremonial Textiles of Japan, 18th to 20th Centuries, which can be found here

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