What's In a Kimono? Part 10
On The Ninth Day of Fun I present... a new kimono! Another series makes it to the double digit mark at last! Let's take a dive into the kimono that's gracing the cover of my upcoming book ^^
Name: Kichō No Yume (几帳の夢) - Partition Dream Type: Houmongi (訪問着) Time Period: Heisei Period (1989 - 2019) Condition: Excellent Material: Silk Motifs: Partitions, Clouds, Fans, and Flowers Execution and Techniques: Yuzen and Stencils Value: $200 - 250 USD When I originally went to purchase this piece I thought that it was shibori (tie dye), but I was very surprised when it arrived and found that it's all hand dyed instead! The entire piece, including the background, is either hand painted yuzen or stencil dyed with extremely small, intricate stencils! This gives the whole piece a very dreamy effect that makes you want to stare and pick out the all of the details. It's almost hard to believe that the black background or the blue clouds aren't solid colors. The main motif here are Kichō (几帳), which are partitions used by the nobility during the Heian Period (794 - 1185), and cypress fans, also used by the nobility during the Heian Period. The partitions would be set up in rooms and block the viewer from gazing directly upon the face of the other noble. Just like the partitions, these large cypress fans were used by court women to hide their faces in large rooms and when meeting with potential suitors. The partitions and the fans were both decorated with pieces of silk that accentuated their length and drew the eye of the viewer to their lovely designs. You may have noticed on the right hand side near where the hem meets the collar that there's a random white square among all of the color. This isn't there by accident, but it being blank is! This is the area where the artist would dye their signature. That it somehow got skipped and sold as-is is gives it an air of mystery as it was clearly a work of art made by a famous artist, but who? I haven't found any other markings on this piece, so I guess we'll never know ^^