A Marvelous Child's Pieced Kimono: Meiji Era Flavor and Age

late nineteenth century
shoulder to hem x sleeve tip to sleeve tip: 29 3/4" x 29", 76 cm x 73.75 cm

This lightly padded, hand stitched cotton kimono is a spectacular thing, and one whos fabrics and mood evoke the time of its making, the Meiji era, 1868-1912.

The child's kimono was certainly recycled from other sources, probably adult kimono, and it shows rich and wonderful patterns of various plaids that are woven in a kind of basketweave style known in Japan as sankuzushi.

The kimono is lined in plain indigo with some striped at the top, nape. The details of the plaids on the exterior of the garment were careful to be matched in symmetry, an absolutely wonderful detail and one that is not always present on these old garments. 

The cotton velour collar area is nice to see as this type of Western style cloth was introduced to Japan in the late nineteenth century and because it was imported at first it was considered as a luxury material. From time to time this kind of cloth appears on clothing, often as it is shown here, on the collar part.

The cloth is as beautiful in color as it is in pattern and the garment itself is in very good condition with no noticeable stains, maybe just one tiny, tiny tear to the back.

It is desirable that all the cloth that make this coat is from the same era and that it is all so good-looking. This makes for a spectacular garment like this: one rich in age and deeply imbued with human wear and warment.

Highly recommended.