Page 95 - Edo: Art in Japan, 1615–1868

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33 tree. The motif is shown against the plum blossoms were outlined
Kosode with snowflake, bamboo, and bamboo stalks that are bent to create with running stitches that were then
blossoming plum tree design sweeping curved lines reminiscent tightly drawn together and wrapped
of the compositional format often with bamboo sheaths to resist the dye
Early eighteenth century
Tie-dyeing and silk and metallic seen on Kanbun-era kosode. The fan- when the fabric was immersed in a
snowflakes
blossoms
(bôshi shibori). These
are similar in
shaped
dye vat
thread embroidery on figured profile to the vegetation of pine trees were then detailed with light green
silk satin often depicted by Japanese artists. By silk embroidery floss. On blossoms
145 x 126 (57 Vs x 49 Vs)
alluding to the pine in this clever way, where the embroidery has been lost,
National Museum of Japanese History, an association is drawn to the beloved ink underdrawings are revealed.
Chiba, Nomura Collection
combination of pine, bamboo, and Smaller blossoms and leaves were
plum, which symbolize, respectively, added with couched gold metallic
• This kosode is decorated with
longevity, resilience, and regeneration. thread. The resultant lush design is
crenelated semicircular forms that characteristic of kosode produced
represent abstract snowflake roundels The time-consuming kanoko shibori during the Genroku era. SST
(yukiwa) nestled amid the meander- tie-dyeing technique was used to
ing branches of a blossoming plum define most of the design elements on
this mid-Edo-period kosode. Some of