White-ground men’s festival kimono decorated with pine, bamboo, and cherry blossoms, late 19th-early 20th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Cloth: cotton; 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 2019.20.58
Not on Viewexpand_more
A man would have worn this kimono while performing folk dances at Obon festivals held in honor of the spirits of his ancestors. A large family crest on the upper back, representing a stylized tachibana orange, underlines the focus on family identity and connections to relatives both living and dead.
The large-scale motif must have been made custom order for a special occasion because the combination of pine, bamboo, and cherry blossoms is very unusual. Typically pine and bamboo are joined by plum blossoms to create the so-called Three Friends of Winter (shōchikubai) motif, representing longevity and happiness. Here, the addition of cherry blossoms speaks to the beauty and fragility of life
Details
- Title
- White-ground men’s festival kimono decorated with pine, bamboo, and cherry blossoms
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- 2019.20.58
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murray et al. 2018, pl. 74
- 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.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.