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Buddhist priest's robe (kesa)
Japanese
Meiji – Taishō eras
latter half of the 19th to early 20th century
Object Place: Japan
Medium/Technique
Silk, gilt paper; lampas with 2/1 twill foundation and 1/2 twill supplementary weave (nishiki); pieced and appliquéd
Dimensions
Overall: 200 × 116 cm (78 3/4 × 45 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.3921
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsCostumes
DescriptionSeven-columned kesa with decoration of waves, coral, and winged dragons.The white ground is covered with straight and curving bands of light blue, light green and gold. The design is woven with bright red, violet, green, light blue, white and gold.
Columns, dividing bands, border: white silk ground with figured patterns of waves, cypress fences, coral, gems, and winged dragons. Cypress fence motifs are overlaid on a background pattern of stylized waves. The float pattern, beginning with the lowest register, consists of coral, gems, and winged dragons in horizontgal bands. Shiten, niten: red silk three-harness warp-faced twill ground with woven-in patterns of clouds and the myriad treasures in discontinuous supplementary wefts of flat gold-leafed paper thread. The design resembles Tomita kinran. Cords are attached to the niten. Lining: silk plain-weave fabric of degummed red warps and degummed indigo wefts.
Columns, dividing bands, border: white silk ground with figured patterns of waves, cypress fences, coral, gems, and winged dragons. Cypress fence motifs are overlaid on a background pattern of stylized waves. The float pattern, beginning with the lowest register, consists of coral, gems, and winged dragons in horizontgal bands. Shiten, niten: red silk three-harness warp-faced twill ground with woven-in patterns of clouds and the myriad treasures in discontinuous supplementary wefts of flat gold-leafed paper thread. The design resembles Tomita kinran. Cords are attached to the niten. Lining: silk plain-weave fabric of degummed red warps and degummed indigo wefts.
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850 - d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: August 3, 1911)
NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.
NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.