Obi

Accession Number
2016/2.61

Title
Obi

Artist(s)
Japanese

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
mid- to late-20th century

Medium & Support
silk

Dimensions
176 in x 12 ½ in (447.04 cm x 31.75 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Kazuko Miyake

Subject matter

This is a fukuro obi in otaiko gara.

After the late fifteenth century, oxcarts were used only for imperial ceremonies and thus came to be known as “imperial oxcarts.” This motif was often used for Kimono and obi.

Fukuro Obi is double-layered  single sided obi in which two separately woven surfaces and back pieces of cloth are stitched together. This type of obi is typically only worn at weddings or other formal occasions.

Gara refers to the orientation, arrangement, and surface area of the patterns and pertains to a specific trend and obi tying style. The patterning in the Otaiko gara type is minimal. A few concentrated spots of patterned motif lie on the obi while the rest is left blank. This style was invented during the Edo period (1615-1868) by the female entertainers in Fukugawa, an entertainment district in present-day Tokyo.



Physical Description

(obi is displayed upside down in the image)

Black fukuro (single-sided) obi with Imperial Oxcart motifs interwoven gold, violet, and red signature and contour line-drawing embroidery of a carriage, samurai, archers, swallows, kannushi (Shinto priest), and depiction of a hanging scroll of Kouzan-ji temple.



Primary Object Classification
Costume and Costume Accessories

Primary Object Type
obi

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
gold thread
obis
scroll paintings
signatures (names)

1 Related Resource

W19 Japanese Scholar Visit with Natsu Oyobe
(Part of: Resources Made by Isabel Engel)

& Author Notes

All Rights Reserved