This elegant silk kimono showcases the masterful use of rinzu weaving, a complex jacquard technique that creates subtle tonal variations within the silk ground, visible as delicate textural patterns that shift with the light and movement of the fabric. The luminous turquoise-blue base color serves as a serene backdrop for the carefully orchestrated design elements, reflecting the period's preference for both technical excellence and understated elegance.
The primary motif consists of stylized bamboo stalks rendered through urushi thread, a specialized metallic thread that incorporates actual lacquer to create extraordinary luster and durability. These bamboo elements appear as vertical striations in gold and silver tones, their linear quality emphasizing the garment's graceful proportions while evoking bamboo's symbolic associations with resilience, flexibility, and moral integrity in Japanese culture. Interspersed among the bamboo are delicate maple leaf motifs in soft pink and coral tones, likely achieved through supplementary weft techniques or careful dyeing processes, creating seasonal references that suggest autumn's gentle transition.
The detail images reveal the extraordinary technical sophistication of the textile construction, where the rinzu weaving creates dimensional cloud-like forms through varying thread tensions and weave structures. The interplay between the metallic urushi threads and the silk ground demonstrates the period's mastery of combining traditional materials with innovative applications. This kimono represents the aesthetic refinement of mid-20th century Japanese textile arts, where subtle color harmonies and sophisticated weaving techniques created garments of remarkable beauty that honored classical motifs while embracing the technical possibilities of modern production methods.
It measures 50 inches (127 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and stands at 60 inches (152 cm) in height.