This meisen kimono features a bold design features a dynamic interplay of swirling whirlpools in cream and gray that create a mesmerizing sense of water in motion across the dark brown ground, punctuated by vivid orange and teal hollyhock blossoms with their characteristic palmate leaves and delicate tendrils. The artistic sensibility clearly reflects the influence of Western Art Deco and modernist design movements, with its emphasis on geometric abstraction, bold color contrasts, and rhythmic patterning that breaks dramatically from traditional Japanese textile conventions.
The combination of whirlpool and hollyhock motifs creates a sophisticated dialogue between elemental forces and botanical beauty. The whirlpools (uzumaki) symbolize the cyclical nature of life and the power of natural forces, while hollyhocks (tachiaoi) represent ambition and fruitfulness, as these towering flowers reach skyward in impressive spires. This pairing suggests themes of resilience and aspiration amid life's turbulent currents—particularly resonant during Japan's rapidly changing social landscape of the 1920s and 1930s. The meisen technique, utilizing a silk and rayon blend processed through innovative kasuri-inspired methods, allowed for the creation of these complex, multi-colored designs with crisp definition and vibrant saturation that would have been prohibitively expensive using traditional methods. The unlined summer construction and the fabric's lightweight quality made this an ideal warm-weather garment for the modern woman of the era, who increasingly sought clothing that combined traditional elegance with contemporary practicality and style.
Its measurements are 48 inches (122 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 58 inches (147 cm) in height.