A Length of Damask Silk from an 18th Century Kosode: Shibori and Embroidery

ate eighteenth century
55" x 11" (top), 13 1/2" (bottom), 139.5 cm x 28 cm (top), 34 (bottom)

This section from an antique kimono is a treasure, it is an indication of the kind of masterful weaving, dyeing and needlework that was done centuries ago in Japan and is now lost to time.

This is a fragment from a kosode or a kind of hyper-elegant "small sleeved" garment worn by women in the upper echelon of Japanese society. Kosode are distinctive in their decoration and usually had a kind of distinguishing "look" about them: this fragment beautifully captions the decorative and integral essence of a kosode.

It is woven from silk satin damask in a whiteish-cream tone. The top of the length is narrower than the bottom and along the length of the left hand side is a faint crease, to its right on the body of the cloth there is faint, but not distracting, discoloration, seen more distinctly on photos than in real life. 

The images are large-scale, highly stylized pine trees that are abstracted in the traditional way pine trees were depicted in Japanese design. Some are shibori dyed and some are embroidered with silk floss. On the bottom of the length we see a shibori dyed pine branch.

This is a beautiful fragment of a super luxurious cloth from what had to have been a remarkably fine kimono from the late 18th century. The large-scale design is an attention-grabber. 

Recommended--this would look beautiful framed or mounted so it can be admired for its design, artfulness and technical excellence.