Child’s formal ensemble (kamishimo)

This two-piece outfit, called a kamishimo, was the everyday formal wear of the Japanese samurai in the Edo period and would have been worn over a kimono. The upper garment, called a kataginu, is a sleeveless jacket with extended shoulders, often stiffened with paper. The pleated pants, known as hakama, have narrow ties and a waist board designed to give support to the back. The kataginu would have been tucked into the hakama.

Kamishimo are generally made of hemp or ramie rather than silk and are patterned using finely cut-out paper stencils. The family crest, resisted with paste, appears on the front and back of the kataginu and the back board of the hakama. The original crest on this set was mostly replaced by another at a later date. This small-sized ensemble was designed for a young boy. Children’s clothing from the Edo period rarely survives and this ensemble is a fine example of the small pattern (komon) stencil-dying tradition.