Summer Robe (Katabira) with Stream and Plum Trees

first half 19th century

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Fine white lines create a graceful, painterly composition on this samurai woman’s pale blue summer robe. Playful butterflies and delicate plum blossoms are depicted among a stream’s rushing waters. No coded motifs indicate a specific location or scene, so this delightful garment seems dedicated only to the pleasures of the mild seasons. Some of the details are stencil-dyed, but there is no embroidery. The robe bears the crest of the Nabeshima clan, but close examination reveals the Tokugawa family crest underneath it, indicating a change of ownership.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

浅葱麻地梅流水模様帷子
Title: Summer Robe (Katabira) with Stream and Plum Trees
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: first half 19th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Plain-weave ramie with paste-resist dyeing, stencil-dyed dots (suri-bitta), and hand-painting
Dimensions: 70 1/4 × 49 1/2 in. (178.4 × 125.7 cm)
Classification: Costumes
Credit Line: Lent by John C. Weber Collection
Curatorial Department: Asian Art