Buddhist Vestment (Kesa)
Not on view
This patchwork-patterned Japanese Buddhist vestment (kesa) was made from Chinese cloth intended for the European market. The primary textile attempts to emulate European lace-patterned woven silks, but the composition is somewhat awkward compared to actual European examples. The six red squares—with their dragon roundels, clouds, and flowers—are more characteristically Chinese in style. While the European style of the cloth is unexpected, the Japanese had been using exotic Chinese textiles for kesa for centuries.
cat. no. 62
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