Accession Number
2005/1.364

Title
Saga brocade obijime (obi cord) in green, red, white and gold

Artist(s)
Japanese

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1960-1980

Medium & Support
saga nishiki brocade silk with green, red and white silk & gold-coated threads

Dimensions
20 in x 1 in x 3/16 in (50.8 cm x 2.54 cm x 0.5 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Howard and Patricia Yamaguchi

Label copy
In the language of kimono, colored tomesode are slightly less formal than black. A married woman would wear this type of kimono for the wedding of a nephew or niece or a business associate to whom she and her husband served as matchmakers. Colored tomesode are accompanied by brocade obi, here with gold embellishments, tied around the midsection; the sheer bulk and abundance of such an obi would have perfectly matched the festive mood of a wedding. Accessories are equally important for formal occasions: sandals made of multicolored woven silk fabric and a hand-woven obi cord would be worn with a colored tomesode and brocade obi.
(Wrapped in Silk & Gold Exhibition, Summer 2010)

Subject matter
Obijime are cords tied on the outside of the obi. Since they are visible, they come in a variety of colors and styles. Obijime would be chosen to match the kimono.

Physical Description
Braided silk brocade with green, red, white and gold-covered threads; no tassels

Primary Object Classification
Costume and Costume Accessories

Primary Object Type
obi cord

Additional Object Classification(s)
Textile

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
brocade (textile)
cord (fiber product)
kimonos
obis