This Meiji period silk wedding kimono has a deep sapphire blue satin silk which creates a luxurious foundation that evokes the depth of evening skies, providing dramatic contrast for the elaborate embroidered and couched metallic decorations concentrated in the lower third of the garment. The design features graceful cranes in flight, rendered in white and gold with naturalistic detail, soaring among stylized pine trees (matsu) that are worked in golden metallic threads with remarkable dimensional quality.
The symbolic program of this wedding kimono speaks to the most auspicious wishes for marital harmony and longevity. Cranes, believed to live for a thousand years, represent fidelity, good fortune, and eternal love—making them the paramount symbol for wedding garments. The pine trees complement this symbolism, representing constancy, endurance, and the ability to flourish through all seasons, while their evergreen nature symbolizes the unchanging devotion desired in marriage. The five family crests (mon) visible at shoulders and back are executed in metallic couching that matches the main decorative elements, creating visual unity while proclaiming family lineage and social status.
The technical execution demonstrates mastery of multiple embroidery and metallic work techniques, with the cranes showing subtle variations in stitching direction to suggest feather texture and movement, while the pine needles are rendered with fine linear precision. The composition follows classical Japanese aesthetic principles, concentrating the most elaborate decoration at the hem where it would be most visible as the bride moved during the ceremony. Despite the minor condition issue with the orange silk lining split, the kimono's overall preservation allows full appreciation of its role as both ceremonial garment and artistic masterpiece.
Its dimensions measure 49 inches (124 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and stand at a height of 66 inches (168 cm).