Omeshi Silk Kimono with Fans, Florals, and Cloud Motifs

The surface of this kimono is animated by a dense, all-over arrangement of fans (ōgi) and flowering sprays that drift across a deep wine-colored ground, interwoven with softly contoured cloud forms. The fans act as structural anchors within the composition, their radiating segments framing blossoms that recall peony and chrysanthemum forms, while smaller florals and tendrils create a layered sense of movement. Woven rather than printed, the omeshi silk produces a subtle relief and tonal modulation that gives the design a brocade-like richness closely aligned with Nishijin aesthetics, even as it remains more restrained and wearable in character. The palette—burgundy, ivory, muted gold, and soft grey—leans toward a refined late prewar and postwar sensibility, where decorative density is balanced by chromatic harmony rather than high contrast. Stylistically, the design reflects a continuation of Taishō-to-early Shōwa decorative modernism, tempered by a return to classical elegance during the 1940s–1950s. Symbolically, fans signify prosperity and unfolding fortune, while the flowers evoke longevity, renewal, and seasonal abundance. Crafted from a luxurious, rich, and costly thick cloth, it boasts a damask inner lining akin to the opulence often found in luxurious uchikake garments. Its measurements are 49 inches (124 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 57 inches (145 cm) in height.

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