Description
An Obi with 2 entirely different patterns on each side, and one seam, is the most difficult of all Obi to weave…these Obi are very rare. There are so few available today because there are few Master Weavers left today in Japan. Although there is but one seam, the entire weaving was completed, free style, from one edge of the Obi to the other, so each pattern was woven side by side.
This is a rare example of a most luxurious, hand woven 19th Century âMaruâ Obi (the most expensive and formal of Japanese Womenâs sashes). It has been hand woven using an enormous amount of pure gold threads interwoven with the finest Silk threads to produce an overall opulent shimmer in the background as well as throughout the designs themselves. This heavy, double-sided antique Obi is the most difficult of the Obi to weave, as two entirely different patterns are created simultaneously, side-by-side, with only a single side seam.
On one side, there is an overall pattern of beautifully detailed Toys, decorated with brilliant designs and wrapped together with brightly colored threads, giving this side of the Obi a modern look. The reverse side uses the same color threads in an entirely different pattern which is an elaborately woven, traditional design of flying Crane (representing good fortune and longevity), Chrysanthemums (the flower of the emperor), Pine (longevity), and the carriage of the nobility. The intricacy of the designs attests to the artistry of the weaver and the wealth and status of the wearer. The overall effect of this Obi is one of great wealth and beauty, while the gold stripes at the bottom of the pattern denote that a woman of high rank and status in Japanese society wore this Obi.
A Certificate of Authenticity is included.
TTAC will personally pack and ship via UPS at company expense within the continental U.S.