Seven-Panel Buddhist Monk’s Vestment (Shichijō kesa) Made from a Chinese Robe

The kesa is a rectangular robe worn by Buddhist monks in Japan, draped over the left shoulder. The garb’s construction and symbolism reflect evolving Buddhist aesthetics, with the central panel composed of five, seven, or nine patchwork fabric strips referencing Buddha’s principle of poverty. Contrasting corner patches signify the four directional guardian deities, while two larger side patches represent temple guardian deities.

This Japanese kesa was fashioned from a Chinese court robe adorned with the distinctive dragon motif. In eighteenth-century Japan, dragon robes were rare and highly prized, and several kesa made from cut-up Chinese examples are known to survive. The dragons depicted on this garment are a five-clawed type (long); however, the fifth claw of each has been discreetly concealed beneath an embroidered cloud pattern, transforming them into four-clawed speciments (mang)—an alteration that made the design appropriate for donning by lower-ranking individuals.