Printed Silk Kimono with Multicolor Momiji Motifs

This printed silk kimono celebrates one of Japan's most beloved seasonal motifs: momiji, the Japanese maple leaf. Against a warm cream ground, countless palmate leaves scatter across the entire surface in a rich palette ranging from coral-orange and vermillion to sage green, olive, deep forest green, and near-black. Subtle green lattice elements suggesting garden fencing (higaki) weave between the foliage, grounding the floating leaves within an implied landscape setting.

The maple leaf occupies a cherished place in Japanese aesthetic culture, inextricably linked to momijigari—the centuries-old tradition of autumn leaf viewing that draws visitors to mountains, temples, and gardens each fall. Like cherry blossoms in spring, autumn maples embody mono no aware, the bittersweet awareness of impermanence that lies at the heart of Japanese artistic sensibility. The leaves' transformation from green through gold to brilliant red before falling represents life's transience and the beauty found within change.

The varied coloration here—showing leaves at different stages from summer green through peak autumn color—captures the full arc of the seasonal transformation rather than a single frozen moment. This approach creates visual dynamism while allowing the garment to be worn across an extended autumn season. The allover patterning and relatively bold scale reflect later 20th-century design preferences, while the subject matter connects to poetic traditions stretching back over a millennium in Japanese literature and art.

Its measurements are 48 inches (122 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 56 inches (142 cm) in height.