This silk hitoe summer kimono demonstrates the sophisticated artistry of yuzen painting technique, where colorful fans and delicately shaded bamboo motifs create a harmonious composition against contrasting black and teal vertical bands. The design reflects the Japanese aesthetic principle of seasonal appropriateness, with bamboo symbolizing resilience, flexibility, and prosperity, while the decorative fans evoke coolness and elegance suitable for summer wear. The subtle yabane (arrow feather) motifs, embroidered at precise 45-degree angles using lustrous metallic and black urushi-lacquered threads, add both textural interest and symbolic meaning—traditionally representing protection from evil and the ability to move forward without looking back, making them popular motifs for celebratory garments.

The overall composition reveals influences from the Meiji period's artistic synthesis, where traditional Japanese design vocabulary was refined and sometimes reinterpreted through exposure to Western artistic concepts, though this piece maintains distinctly Japanese sensibilities. The strategic use of negative space, asymmetrical balance, and the interplay between painted and embroidered elements reflects the mature development of textile arts during this period. The color palette of deep blacks, sage greens, warm corals, and golden yellows creates visual depth while maintaining the sophisticated restraint characteristic of high-quality Japanese textiles, where technical mastery serves aesthetic refinement rather than ostentatious display.

It features a discreet 1-inch silk split. Its measurements are 48 inches (122 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 60 inches (152 cm) in height.

This artwork is featured on page 246 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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