Yellow-ground wrapping cloth (uchikui) with pattern of irises in a flowing stream, late 19th century
Unknown Ryukyuanexpand_more
Cloth: ramie; tsutsugaki (freehand resist)expand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fund and the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation; purchase from the Thomas Murray Collectionexpand_more 2019.20.186
Not on Viewexpand_more
This wrapping cloth, or uchikui, is made up of two symmetrical panels of heavy-grade, plain-weave ramie. The panels are not identical because an artist created the design by hand using the paste-resist dyeing technique called tsutsugaki: motifs were made by squeezing sticky paste out of a tube, like icing a cake. Until 1879, government sumptuary laws regulated the use of colors and yellow ground, reserving them for the royal family; hence this piece likely postdates that year. The small size of this uchikui suggests it would have been used for gift presentation, and the use of a bright color indicates a festive occasion, like a wedding. Irises in a flowing stream is a motif borrowed from mainland Japan.
Details
- Title
- Yellow-ground wrapping cloth (uchikui) with pattern of irises in a flowing stream
- Role
- Maker
- Dimension
- 40 x 40 in.
- Accession Number
- 2019.20.186
- Provenance
- Okamura Kichiemon, Jack Lenor Larsen
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murray et al. 2018, pl. 157
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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