Obi

Accession Number
2013/2.381

Title
Obi

Artist(s)
Japanese

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
20th century

Medium & Support
silk, brocade

Dimensions
12 1/4 in x 175 in (31.12 cm x 444.5 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Howard and Patricia Yamaguchi

Subject matter

This is a Nishijin, Nishiki, and Fukuro Obi in Rokutsuu gara.

The landscape consists of stylized silver mountains and gold pine trees.
The pine tree motifs were often used on the robes of princesses in the "Pine on the Shore" or "Crane Nibbling a Pine Branch.” The pine motif were also commonly used for luxurious Nuihaku robes (Noh costumes with designs in embroidery and gold and silver leaf) and for Kosode (kimono with short sleeves) during the  Momoyama period (1568-1600) to Edo period (1603 - 1868).

Nishijin-ori textiles were developed in the Nishijin area of Kyoto city and has dominated the production of high-quality woven textiles since the fifteenth century. Nishiki is a type of vibrant silk brocade with vivid and luxurious images using various colorful  and metallic (mainly gold and silver). Nishiki brocade is mainly produced in the Nishijin area of Kyoto. 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. The Rokutsuu gara type derives from a specific tying style, the Otaiko musubi.  The areas of the obi that are visible in this style are patterned while the parts that are obscured are left blank. In terms of surface area, roughly sixty percent is patterned while forty percent is left blank.



Physical Description

Beige Fukuro (double-sided) Obi with an interwoven and painted silver and gold landscape with a with silver and gold embroidery.



Primary Object Classification
Costume and Costume Accessories

Primary Object Type
obi

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
brocade (textile)
gold thread
obis
silver thread

& Author Notes

All Rights Reserved