This is a striking Japanese uchikake, wedding gown. The design on this gown is the sacred pine tree, “Yogo no Matsu”, and golden clouds. Pines in gold or gold clouds are often painted on silk screens or used as the background for a noh play stage. The wall paintings in the Kyoto Nijo castle, Kyoto, which were painted by Kano, Tanyu (1602-74) when he was in his mid 20s, are quite famous.

There is no visible image of God in Shinto religion, the oldest form of religion in Japan...

This is a beautiful kimono, hand Tie-dyed Japanese silk haori jacket in excellent condition. Japanese haori makes a great jacket. There are numerous storage stains (faint brown spots) on the white lining which did not affect the front at all.

Wearable art: Beautiful Shibori hand tie-dye work on silk haori (short kimono jacket). It is lined with a white silk with some basting stitches still intact. This haori will make a gorgeous jacket.

This is a beautiful Japanese wedding gown (Uchikake) in high quality; it is soft but hangs well. This wedding gown looks more like a Noh costume. The colors are deep purple and light green in a gold background. The gold is not as shiny as shown in the photos unless it is placed under a bright light. The gown was made in the famous Nishijin textile district of Kyoto, Japan and the gown in this quality is very difficult to find in today's market...

Beautiful Japanese Wedding gown. The measurements are 52" wide and 73 1/1" long. The colors are red, blue, purple, green and orange. The condition is excellent, as new as it can get. Please e-mail or call me for questions.

Hanten with sashiko and mending patches which is from Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture. It is made of many indigo dye cotton fragments as cotton was precious in regions with cold climate. It has beautiful vegetable indigo faded and worn-out parts. The first half of the 20th century. W:85cm, L:90cm

Ojiya chijimi unlined kimono which was produced in Ojiya city area in Niigata prefecture. It has uneven surface like crepe, which is improved from Echigo-jofu, which has been woven of choma (ramie) since more than 1000 years ago in the region. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition except for very light beige spots in both under arms in the back. W:124cm, L:145cm

Sakiori obi (sash) for a casual kimono whose wefts are strips from old cotton textiles, and warps are indigo dye cotton yarn. Generally, in good condition except for a little dirt in one of the ends (6th image). 20th century W:15.5cm, L:2m54cm

A pair of boro tabi (socks) made of indigo dye cotton and thick cotton cloth for soles. It has fine sashiko for reinforcement on insteps. Metal claps are lost in one of the pair. The first half of the 20th century. W:10cm, L:21.5cm

Sample book of "100 hundred ancient sarasa". made of 26 silk fragments with katazome (stencil-resist dye), from No. 101 to No.126. It is made by Shiundo in Seto in Aichi prefecture. In good condition. Early 20th century. W:22cm, H:17.5cm

A pair of boro tabi (socks) with sashiko, which is made of cotton and indigo dyed and has four metal straps. The lining is cotton flannel. The first half of the 20th century. W:9cm, L:21cm.

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree, for both wefts and warps. The brown stripe yarn and warp kasuri yarn are dyed with Sharinbai, a family of the rose tree. The small weft kasri yarn is dyed with Ryukyu ai, vegetable indigo in Okinawa. Bashofu has been woven in many islands in Okinawa from old days, for everyday kimono or work wear. The first half of the 20th century. W:114cm, L:132cm

Sakiori obi for an everyday kimono. It is handwoven of cotton and silk strips of old kimono and cotton yarn for warps. Some wefts are from kimono with kasuri. In excellent condition. 20th century. W:16.5cm, L:2m92cm

Saiho-hinagata (or hinagata), the sewing sample which is a miniature sample to learn sewing. It was invented by an educator for saving time and textile using a special measuring rod. It was practiced in a girl's school from Meiji 7, 1874). Reduced scales were one-third in the beginning and one-quarter, one-half, one-fifth etc. The sewing technique was exactly same as the real size in details. Saiho-hinagata was designated as a significant tangible folk cultural asset...

Boro hanten noragi made of cotton with stripes and plain which are vegetable indigo dye. It has two layers of cloth and sashiko all over. The shape of sleeves is "makisode. The frist half images are inside out. The first half of the 20th century. 128cm x 87cm

silk meisen lined kimono with dots which are double kasuri, both warp and weft are katazome dyed(stencil-resist-dye). In excellent condition except for a spot in the front panel, but it is folded inside and unseen when it is worn. Mid 20th century. 122cm x 151cm

Sakiori obi (sash) for a casual kimono which is hand-woven of strips recycled from silk and cotton kimono for weft, and cotton yarn for warp. In excellent condition. 20th century. 18cm x 2m96cm

Hanten with sashiko (quilting) which is made in Shonai in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku District, which is made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. It has 2 layers of cloth with sashiko. The collar cloth is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye cotton with stripes. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:88cm, L:75cm

Vintage Japanese uchikake (wedding kimono) crafted from heavy woven and embroidered silk brocade fabric with extensive gilt thread in a dense pattern of flowers and peacocks. Mid-20th century. The lining is fine red silk. Very good overall condition with only minor wear at the bottom corners where the lining meets the brocade. Measures about 73" in length by about 50" across. From a Casa Grande, Arizona collection.

Cotton woman's kimono (yukata) with shibori pattern which is chemical indigo dye. Shibori techniques are Orinui shibori (folded & stitched) and Hiranui-makiage shibori (stitched & bound). In good condition. Mid 20th century. 130cm x 146cm

Small rug or zokin made of cotton fragments recycled from old kimono or futonji, which are hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. It has sashiko (quilting) and two to four layers of cloth. The first half of the 20th century. 43cm x 49cm

Asa (hemp) noragi (work wear) with fine kasuri pattern which is katazome (stecil-resist-dye) and vegetable indigo dye. Both weft and warp are hand-plied. This kind of thick hemp textiles are found in Tohoku district. Generally in good condition but has some mending patches and stitches and wear in shoulder lines. Late 19th to early 20th century. W:116cm x L:76cm, Measurement of details, please inquire.

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) handwoven of cotton strips recycled from old kimono for weft and asa (hemp) yarn for warp. It has beautiful mixed color of indigo, brown, purple etc. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:48cm, L:73cm

4 pieces of meisen cloth which used to be haori (jacket). The longer two have a horizontal 9cm cut in the middle for the neck. Generally in good condition but has some patina and stains. Mid 20th century. 36cm x 1m74cm x 2 (sleeves) 36cm x 2m68cm x 2 (body)

Four volumes of sample books of mingei textiles which are all natural dye and handwoven from Aomori to Kagoshima prefecture. Some are designated as intangible national assets, however some haven't been woven anymore now, and some are reproduced. They include precious bast fibers such as fuji-fu (wisteria), shina-fu, kuzu-fu and so on. They also have natural dye textiles such as shikon-zome, akane-zome, indigo dye Arimatsu Narumi shibori, tsumugi and so on...

A fisherman's work wear hand-woven of hemp for the weft and cotton yarn for the warp. Stripes are vegetable indigo dye and also natural color cotton yarn. It is from Tsushima in Nagasaki prefecture, an island located between Korean Peninsula and north Kyushu, and the textile is called Tsushima-asa. It had been woven till 1930s, but not woven since then, so it is precious, especially in this excellent condition one...

A bag made of hand-spun cotton with shibori (tie-dye) and katazome (stencil-resist-dye) pattern which is vegetable indigo dye. It has cotton lining with kasuri pattern which is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye and thinly padded with cotton. Generally in good condition except for a few stains. The first half of the 20th century. 30cm x 41cm

A baby carrier belt made of indigo dye cotton for warp and washi (Japanese handmade paper) yarn for weft. It is made in Shonai region in Yamagata district in Tohoku. In good condition with beautiful tassels but the seam loose part in one selvedge (30cm). The first half of the 20th century. 13.5cm x 3m60cm

Meisen kimono with kasuri red and black rectangular pattern. It has red red silk lining, so probably made in 1930s. In excellent condition. 124cm x 154cm

Hanten, called "suzukake" worn by a Shugen-sha or Yamabushi who practiced Shugendo. Shugendo is the Japanese unique religion combining Buddhism, Shintoism, and worship of nature (mountains). A practitioner (shugen-sha) trained himself in the holy mountains that is ascetic and very painstaking. It is made of hemp and weft of is hand-plied but warp is machine-spun...

Bashofu kimono made of several different pieces of bashofu with stripes. It is roughly sewn together, so it might be worn for a work wear. Both weft and warp are hand-plied. In good condition except for some stains. The first half of the 20th century. 124cm x 126cm

Pilgrim's cotton hanten (hakue) with many stamps of sacred places in Shodo-shima in Kagawa prefecture. They are called "Shodo-shima Hachiju-hachi Kasho", 88 Sacred Places in Shodo Island. It is said Kobo-Taishi (Kukai) had ascetic practice and prayer at those places, who founded Shingon Mikkyo in late 8th century. In good condition except for light stain in the upper back sleeve. The first half of the 20th century. 128cm x 93cm

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) whose weft is cotton strips recycled from old indigo dye kimono. warp is asa (hemp) yarn. It has beautiful mixed vegetable indigo color. In good condition but has some wear. The first half of the 20th century. 43cm x 75cm

Shonai obi (sash) hand-woven of cotton for warps and paper yarn for wefts. It is made in Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. It is dyed with vegetable indigo and has beautiful tassels in both ends. In excellent condition except for a few tiny stains. The first half of the 20th century. 29cm x 3m56cm

Silk meisen kimono with double kasuri apple and strawberry pattern on yellow ground. Kasuri pattern was dyed with stencil-resist-dye (katazome) for both weft and warp yarn (heiyo-kasuri). Generally in good condition but has some brownish stains and some in the lining too and the silk tape in the hem is a bit dirty. Mid 20th century. 126cm x 146cm

Noragi (work wear) made of asa (hemp) whose both wets and warps are hand-plied. The sleeves are vegetable indigo dyed cotton. A few holes with mending patches. Late 19th to mid 20th century. 109cm x 71cm