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Court Lady’s Garment (Kosode) with Swallows and Bells on Blossoming Cherry Tree

mid-19th century
Not on view
The design of this elegant garment, a type favored by aristocrats and court ladies from the late Edo (1615–1868) through the early Meiji period, is composed of a single flowering cherry tree. A red string with tiny gold bells is tied to the tree, while birds fly around its delicate blossoms and sit on the branches. The flowers and leaves are embroidered; their bright white, red, and green hues form a sharp contrast with the deep purple ground created through the use of an aniline, or chemical, dye imported from Europe.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 紫縮緬地桜樹鈴燕模様小袖
  • Title: Court Lady’s Garment (Kosode) with Swallows and Bells on Blossoming Cherry Tree
  • Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)
  • Date: mid-19th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Silk crepe (chirimen) with silk embroidery and couched gold thread
  • Dimensions: 69 1/4 × 46 1/4 in. (175.9 × 117.5 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Costumes
  • Credit Line: Funds from various donors, 2018
  • Object Number: 2018.559
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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