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Kesa (Buddhist Monk's Robe)

A work made of silk and gilt-paper strip; twill weave with supplementary patterning and brocading wefts.

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  • A work made of silk and gilt-paper strip; twill weave with supplementary patterning and brocading wefts.

Date:

Late 19th or early 20th century, Meiji period (1868–1912)/ Taishô period (1912–1926)

Artist:

Japan

About this artwork

This kesa—a Buddhist monk’s robe—features a rooster perched atop a taiko drum, a 13-string koto, a pear-shaped biwa, a stringed tsutsumi drum, and a flute, as well as two masks. Music and performance play an important role in the lives of Japanese Buddhist monks, whose ritual practice is facilitated by patterns of sound, silence, movement, and stillness. The instruments, masks, and foliate forms that dance across the golden ground of the kesa produce a vivid composition that would be even livelier if the garment were wrapped around the body.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Title

Kesa (Buddhist Monk's Robe)

Place

Japan (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1875–1925

Medium

Silk and gilt-paper strip; twill weave with supplementary patterning and brocading wefts

Dimensions

115.1 × 210 cm (45 1/4 × 82 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Gaylord Donnelley in memory of Frances Gaylord Smith

Reference Number

1991.790

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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