This stunning silk antique uchikake is truly exceptional, featuring a rinzu (damask) base adorned with large fan and paulownia motifs. The captivating yuzen-painted plum blossom designs, along with finely embroidered mon (family crest) and highlights, create a remarkable visual. The appearance of a slight red hue is due to the inner lining color subtly showing through the outer cloth, though the true color is white. Measuring 48 inches (122 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and standing at 62 inches (157 cm) tall, the plum blossom symbolizes purity and nobility, revered for its fragrance and elegance. Its depiction signifies new life at winter's end, an auspicious symbol highly regarded in Japan. The uchikake's style and imagery resemble that of an early 19th-century kimono designed by the artist Sakai Hoitsu, as documented on page 184 of "When Fashion Became Art."

This artwork is featured on page 73 of Art Kimono: Aesthetic Revelations of Japan, 1905-1960. This book, published by Yorke Antique Textiles, can be previewed or purchased on our website here.

This piece also featured on page 132 of the January-February 2018 edition of Arts of Asia.

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