Robe (Kosode) with Cherry Blossoms and Cypress Fence
Not on view
The design on this rare kosode (garment with small sleeve openings), with its pattern of cherry blossoms, a fence, and carriage wheels, is an example of the bold, largely diagonal compositions that appeared beginning in the mid-seventeenth century. The donation of precious garments to Buddhist temples has been a common practice throughout much of Japanese history, and these gifts of clothing were often transformed into Buddhist altar cloths (uchishiki) and vestments (kesa). This kosode’s past is unknown, but it has been remade, and its slightly incomplete form suggests that it may once have been an altar cloth.
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