This silk kimono demonstrates the sophisticated technical innovation characteristic of Japan's interwar textile industry, showcasing a masterful integration of traditional shibori tie-dyeing techniques with modern silkscreen printing methods. The garment displays a dynamic camouflage-like pattern where deep russet and burgundy areas created through silkscreen printing flow organically around pale sage green sections that feature intricate tie-dyed motifs rendered in white resist patterns. The tie-dyed areas reveal complex geometric and floral designs achieved through the meticulous binding and dyeing processes of shibori, creating delicate white reserved patterns that appear to float like clouds or blossoms against the muted green ground.
The artistic execution reflects the period's embrace of hybrid manufacturing techniques that combined mechanized efficiency with handcraft traditions, representing a uniquely modern approach to Japanese textile design. The overall composition evokes natural phenomena such as autumn foliage viewed from above or abstract landscape formations, while the technical contrast between the smooth, uniform silkscreened areas and the organic, slightly irregular tie-dyed sections creates visual and tactile interest. The color palette of earth tones—ranging from deep terracotta through sage green to cream—suggests the sophisticated taste of the emerging urban middle class during Japan's period of rapid social and economic transformation. The seamless integration of these two distinct techniques demonstrates the period's characteristic innovation in textile production, where traditional craft methods were not abandoned but rather strategically combined with industrial processes to create garments that maintained cultural authenticity while embracing contemporary efficiency and aesthetic sensibilities.
Measuring 46 inches (117 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and standing at 57 inches (145 cm) in height.