Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Textiles (11)

Brown silk homongi formal kimono with dots in jacquard and with gold threads interwoven, so that the fabric sparkles when the light hits it. The upper part is undecorated, except for three crests of the Sakagami family on the back.
On the section that is underneath the obi, there are hand-painted crossing strips, decorated in bright colors blue, purple, red, orange, green, yellow, silver and gold sprinkle with geometric, auspicious motifs: Waves, shippo, diamonds, kikko hanabishi (hexagons with flowers). Each strip is bordered by a double stitched line of gold thread.

On the inside white silk lining in top half. The bottom half, the inside of the lower part of the lapels and along the inside edges of the sleeves, has been lined the same fabric as the outside.

Japan, Showa era, 1960s-1990s.

H (shoulder seam to bottom) 62 x W (side seam to side seam) 22 in.

This kimono has been worn, but rarely. It was shortened about 3 inches in the area that is covered by the obi. The collar can be shortened (half height) by use of snap fasteners. On the seam that thus forms, the fabric is discolored (red line). Generally in very good condition.

From the collection/ward robe of Reiko Sakagami, former mistress of the Man O' War horse farm in Lexington, KY.

Homongi kimono with family crests are worn at formal occasions.

Chirimen (crepe) silk kimono imprinted with Okinawa bingata design of irregular bands of flowers and plants of the seasons, in roundels, on waves, on vines etc. The outlines and basic forms are in brown, ochre and brown-red, while the flowers and leaves are colored in the red, yellow, green, and purple. Along the bottom is a band of stylized waves in red and brown.

On the inside white silk or rayon lining in top half. The bottom half, the inside of the lower part of the lapels and along the inside edges of the sleeves, has been lined with reddish brown silk with a pattern of manji in jacquard weave, and sprinkled with small yellow dots.

Japan, Showa era, 1960s-1970s

H (shoulder seam to bottom) 63 x W (side seam to side seam) 23 in.

This kimono has been worn. It has been shortened about 2 inches at the level where it is covered by the obi; the collar can be shortened by use of snap fasteners. Generally in very good condition.

From the collection/ward robe of Reiko Sakagami, former mistress of the Man O' War horse farm in Lexington, KY.

This type of kimono would be worn at an informal occasion or outing.

A silk fukuro obi sash. In jacquard weave with 2 hues of gold-thread and red, green, yellow and brown silk. Clematis meandering upwards against a yellow-golden background, partially obscured by copper-golden stylized flower shapes.

The back of the obi is plain cream-colored silk, as is about 1.5 meters on the front, which would be invisible when wrapped around the body. The last 16.5 inches of the obi seamlessly fit onto the rest of the design.

Japan, Showa era, ca. 1960s-1990s.

L 164 x W 12 in. (ca. 415.5 x 30.5 cm)

The obi has been worn and shows stains on the plain inside silk

From the collection/ward robe of Reiko Sakagami-Baum, former owner of the Man O' War horse farm in Lexington, KY.

Fukuro obi are made from one strip of decorated fabric, and are lined with a solid-colored strip. Si it is sewn in two parts. It is worn at formal occasions.

A silk fukuro obi sash. On a background of woven gold-thread and cream-colored silk is a repeating diamond-shaped pattern of stylized flowers and feathers in gold-thread brocade and brightly colored silk (orange, yellow, green, blue, red and white).

Woven-in manufacture mark turned inside and obscured by the seam.

Japan, Showa era, ca. 1960s-1990s

L 169 x W 11.75 in. (ca. 429.5 x 29.5 cm)

The obi has been worn and shows wear on the gold thread background and broken gold and silk threads in the embroidery/brocade.

From the collection/ward robe of Reiko Sakagami-Baum, former owner of the Man O' War horse farm in Lexington, KY.

Fukuro obi are made from one strip of decorated fabric and are lined with a solid colored strip. It is sewn in two parts. It is worn at formal occasions.

Rectangular cover for over a gift, called fukusa made of green (front) and purple (back) silk satin. On the front is an image of three turtles walking towards the water, with a bamboo grove in the back of them. The hand-made decoration is done in velvet, hand painting and gold thread embroidery.
On the back in light gray velvet against purple is a round family crest.

Green and brown braided tassels in the corners.

Japan, first half 20th century

H 22 x W 19.25 in.

Some of the velvet slightly worn, minimal traces of usage, folds from storage, all in all excellent condition. One tassel missing.

The turtle stands for longevity, bamboo for longevity and resilience. Auspicious image, excellent for gift giving. The fukusa would be put over a box or a tray holding a gift. The fukusa was just as important as the gift itself.

Almost square fukusa or ceremonial cloth or cover. Two hand-embroidered diamond shaped white silk emblems of a pair of cranes, enhanced by gold-thread outlines, on a kikko hanabishi background in multicolor yuzen dye technique between two bands of bright orange-red. Some of the flowers in the kikko hanabishi ground are hand-embroidered. The outlines of the kikko painted in gold (now oxidized to a greenish color).

The back of the fukusa is a solid bright orange-red.

Tassels in 3 of the 4 corners of red and cream-colored silk and gold thread.

Japan, mid 20th century

H 15.75 x W 14.5 in.

One tassel missing, storage folds, otherwise excellent condition

The red color is hard to reflect in a photo. It is slightly more orange in reality.

A long woman’s summer obi made of thin silk, woven in jacquard and openwork techniques with chrysanthemums or asters interlaced with fences of plaited bamboo leaves. On this, in Yuzen dye technique, imitating an ink drawing, several areas painted with cart wheels floating in waves.
The obi has been opened; a practice quite common in order to have the material cleaned. There is a paper (dry) cleaner’s tag on the obi.
Japan, ca. 1950s.
L ca. 13 ft, H ca. 13 inches

Few black ink stains, all in all very good condition

Wooden cart wheels were put into water to prevent the wood from drying out. It is a beloved image in decorative arts, as it alludes to the simple (idealized) rural life.

Long obi, woman’s sash for fastening a kimono. Silk with decoration in yuzen silk painting technique and silk and gold- and silver-thread embroidery. The story of Momotaro, Peach Boy, fully illustrated. The old couple, Momotaro’s foster parents, the boat that brings Momotaro and his friends the dog, the monkey and the pheasant to the island of the demons (Onigashima), the demons surrendering the treasures they stole. Momotaro, with the banner ‘Nihonichi’ (no. 1 of Japan), sits like a war general, while the demons bring the treasures in front of him.

Japan, Showa era, 1930-1940s.

Small silk laundry? tag with the digit 3 written on it.

H 12.75 in. x L 13 ft.

Minimal traces of usage, excellent condition

More images available upon request

Pair of golden yellow silk fukusa or gift covers, with diamond pattern with water birds design in brocade weave, over which is embroidered in different hues of pink and in goldthread. The larger fukusa is decorated with a lobster carrying a treasure boat, holding several of the treasures. The smaller fukusa is decorated with a treasure boat, as well. Reverse decorated in brocade technique with a family crest in white silk. Japan, Taisho or Showa era, ca. early to mid-20th century.

H 29 ¾ x W 26 ½ inches and H 24 ½ x W 22 ¼ inches.

The smaller one with slight bleeding on the reverse (consistent with usage). Otherwise both in excellent condition.

Silk kimono decorated in yuzen technique with design of flowering stalks. Bamboo, cherry blossom and marigold. On the stalks small beetles crawl up. Outlines of flowers in silver. Inside partly lined with red silk. Japan, Showa period, mid 20th century.
Length 66 in. (168 cm), sleeve to sleeve 49 ½ in. (126 cm).
Few light stains, one torn seam at sleeve (ca. 2 in.), one small moth hole in seam of other sleeve, otherwise good condition.

Obi (sash) with design on both sides. One side taupe colored silk embroidered in brown, murasaki, pink, green and blue with a design of bamboo leaves and matsukawabishi. The other side decorated in silver and some colored silk on murasaki colored silk with an intricate design of a river bank with stone barricades, containers and vegetation: bamboo, pine, chrysanthemums and momiji. The end of the obi marked with two strokes of gold thread. Japan, early Showa period.
Length 151 ¾ in. (385.5 cm).
Two water stains on the taupe side of the obi. The gold threads that mark the end of theobi coming loose. Few silver threads coming looses. Generally good condition.