Robe (Kosode) with Clematis and Bamboo Fence
Not on view
From the mid-eighteenth century, many of the formal robes worn by women of the ruling samurai elite were decorated with floral and geometric patterns. The most sumptuous examples, such as this one, were of white figured silk satin and featured refined dyeing techniques as well as rich silk embroidery and gold-thread couching. Clematis, admired in Japan for its ability to climb bamboo fences, is an auspicious plant often employed in decorative patterns. During the Heian period (794–1185), artists developed a vocabulary of literary symbols based on observation of nature. Flowers became a popular design element by the Momoyama (1573–1615) period, providing a complex stock of motifs used to refer to poetry and courtly traditions as well as good fortune.
