Description
Some of the most rare and unusual Japanese textiles to survive into the 20th Century are examples of works of art created as Wedding Collars. For added adornment, upper class Japanese women would create these one of a king pieces of art which would then be attached to the leading edge of the wedding kimono. The background color depended on the status of the individual. In this case, the very deep, dark Purple (“Murasaki”) indicates that this was to be an Imperial Wedding, as purple was the color of the Royal Family. The design also incorporates auspicious symbols, here the Pine which represents longevity, and Autumn leaves which indicate the time of the year for the wedding. The leaves have been further highlighted by the specialty dying process of Shibori, which is a tie dying process that leaves a small puckery design, and then hand embroidered with Silk threads.
This is a remarkable hand woven, rare Chirimen Silk Wedding Collar which was also hand dyed from natural sources and hand painted. The design has been freely drawn in the paste resist dyeing technique of “Tsutsugaki” or the Rice Paste Resist method which entailed painting out the design in rice paste each time a new color was added to the design. Free style patterns based on natural phenomena are often the most recognizable as being distinctly Japanese, as their reverence for nature, particularly the Pine (“Matsu”) reflects their heritage and traditional Shinto Religion. The emphasis is on a stylized version of the Pine, but a certain vagueness is preferred to absolute clarity in the rendition. The bird’s eye perspective results in a fluidity of design that represents an “orderly” version of nature.
It is very unusual to find hand worked Kimono Wedding Collars from this period in good condition, as the majority were so badly soiled from the bride’s cosmetics that they have disintegrated over time. In addition to enjoying the beauty of this delicately designed Wedding Collar, it also preserves for history, an intriguing glimpse of courtly marriage rituals from Japan’s past.
A Certificate of Authenticity is included.
Professional packing and shipping is included within the continental United States
