A Child's Hemp or Ramie Jofu Kasuri Kimono: Elaborate Semamori

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
24 1/2" x 27 1/2", 62 cm x 70 cm

In Japan, there is a certain magic associated with stitching: the very act of enclosing a body in cloth is rich in meaning, and stitching a garment closed has power in it. It is no wonder that stitches applied to children’s garments are done intentionally and that they are meant to protect the child from harm.

These protective, amuletic stitches are called semamori.

Offered here today is a child's kasuri kimono made of exceptionally finely woven hemp or ramie and embellished with a lavish semamori on the center, top, back of the garment.

The indigo dyed cloth is particularly noteworthy for its extremely good quality, indicating that it is undoubtedly from one of two centers that produced this fine type of cloth, either Omi in present day Shiga prefecture or Echigo in present day Niigata prefecture.

The design that is woven into the cloth is unusual in that the motifs are in mirror image. We seen carp, cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums--and all of them are are doubles of each other, presenting a kaleidoscopic type effect. 

The garment is fashioned as a child's garment always is, by tacking up the center and shoulders of the kimono in order to fit the child's body, but this tacking up and in also allows for creating a larger or longer garment as the child grows.

There are bright, chartreuse-colored, crepe wool additions to the inside of the sleeve tips which poke out of the sleeves and a curious detail to the garment.

This kimono would have been worn by a child of means: the cloth itself is precious, the semamori is lavish and deliberate and the crepe wool inserts into the sleeve were something precious at the time as Japan did not produce any woolen fabric until quite recently, relatively speaking.

A treasure.

Recommended.