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Man’s Under Kimono (Nagajuban) with Spider and Spiderweb

1920s–30s
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Worn under an outer garment or at home, the nagajuban frequently bore eye-catching designs that would be seen only by family and friends. The large spider perched on the right shoulder of the crepe silk robe, whose back is covered with a web against gray clouds, exemplifies such a decoration. The pattern could be a reference to Tsuchigumo, a monstrous, shape-shifting spider featured in Japanese myths and legends as well as in Noh and Kabuki plays. The dramatic, supernatural subject was also featured in ukiyo-e prints, which might have inspired this nagajuban’s composition.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 璃寛茶縮緬地蜘蛛模様男物長襦袢
  • Title: Man’s Under Kimono (Nagajuban) with Spider and Spiderweb
  • Period: Taishō (1912–26) or Shōwa (1926–89) period
  • Date: 1920s–30s
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Crepe silk (chirimen) with freehand paste- resist dyeing (yūzen)
  • Dimensions: 54 1/8 × 51 in. (137.5 × 129.5 cm)
  • Classification: Costumes
  • Credit Line: Promised Gift of John C. Weber
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art