Obi

Accession Number
2013/2.384

Title
Obi

Artist(s)
Japanese

Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
20th century

Medium & Support
silk, brocade

Dimensions
12 in x 150 in (30.48 cm x 381 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Howard and Patricia Yamaguchi

Subject matter

The folding fan, introduced from China, opens out into a form that suggests unfolding potential, symbolizing growing prosperity and expanding possibilities. One of the fans depict a Japanese court lady wearing twelve layers of kimono. To the right of her are two Kanji characters, though illegible.

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. Nagoya obi were first produced at the end of the Taisho era, and are shorter than the more formal fukuro and maru obi. A portion of Nagoya obi fabric is folded and stitched in half to make tying easier.  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

Lavender-beige Nagoya obi with interwoven gold and lavender cloud fog motifs and patched brown and narrative fans.



Primary Object Classification
Costume and Costume Accessories

Primary Object Type
obi

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
Heian
folding fans
obis
silk (silkworm material)

& Author Notes

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