A plain silk wedding kimono featuring a large phoenix accompanied by pine tree and cherry blossom motifs.   Yuzen-painting, with embroidery and metallic couching highlights and outlining.  50" from sleeve-end to sleeve-end x 59" height.  For the Japanese, the phoenix is a symbol of peace and the rising sun, a bird whose song is particularly musical and auspicious. Because the phoenix is the female counterpart of the male dragon and its varied colored feathers represent the traditional virtues of truthfulness, propriety, righteousness, benevolence and sincerity: it is an auspicious bridal motif. During the late Meiji and Taisho periods (1880-1926), the phoenix theme was popular on uchikake: the difference on this example is the superlative design, with the phoenix filling up much of the 'canvas', in such a relaxed, wonderfully-spaced artistic manner.