Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Over Robe (Uchikake) with Fans and Flowers

second half 18th–first half 19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 230
Uchikake over robes, such as this example, were worn by high-ranking samurai women during the Edo period for formal occasions. The padded outer garments, lined with cotton, were worn in autumn and spring over layers of kosode. Uchikake worn by young women often feature a vibrant red ground enlivened by boldly arranged floral motifs that alternate with non-floral designs. Here, luxuriant bouquets of peonies, chrysanthemums, and cascading wisteria are interspersed with Chinese fans and colorful butterflies—symbols of beauty, longevity, and seasonal renewal. The decoration combines shiroage (white reserve created by paste resist), kanoko tie-dye, hand painting, and richly varied silk- and metallic-thread embroidery. The ground fabric is itself woven with chrysanthemums, orchids, and a geometric key-fret pattern, adding further visual complexity.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 紅綸子地唐扇花束模様打掛
  • Title: Over Robe (Uchikake) with Fans and Flowers
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: second half 18th–first half 19th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Figured satin-weave silk with tie-dyeing, silk embroidery, and couched gold thread
  • Dimensions: Overall: 66 x 48 in. (167.6 x 121.9 cm)
  • Classification: Costumes
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Seymour Fund, Mrs. Donald Oenslager Gift and Gifts in memory of Gertrude Carp, 1988
  • Object Number: 1988.165
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Helmet (<i>Zukinnari Kabuto</i>), Iron, lacquer, Japanese
Helmet (Zukinnari Kabuto)
Japanese
16th century
Outer Robe (Uchikake) with Maple Tree and River, Resist-dyed silk satin damask embroidered with silk and metallic thread, Japan
Outer Robe (Uchikake) with Maple Tree and River
Japan
first half of the 20th century
Kimono Rack (Ikō) with Scrolling Foliage and Tokugawa Family Crest, Lacquered wood with gold hiramaki-e on nashiji (“pear-skin” ground); gilt bronze fittings, Japan
Kimono Rack (Ikō) with Scrolling Foliage and Tokugawa Family Crest
Japan
18th century
Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Saotome Ietada Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, gilt copper, Japanese
Armor (Gusoku)
Armorer Helmet bowl signed Saotome Ietada
Armorer Breastplate inscribed inside, Myōchin Munesuke
16th and 18th centuries
Robe (Kosode) with Fishing Net and Characters , Silk and metallic thread embroidery, tied resist dyeing on satin damask, Japan

Robe (Kosode) with Fishing Net and Characters

Japan
probably ca. 1660s

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.