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Kesa

A work made of silk and gilt-paper strip; twill weave with secondary binding warps and supplementary patterning wefts, with couched plied silk.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silk and gilt-paper strip; twill weave with secondary binding warps and supplementary patterning wefts, with couched plied silk.

Date:

18th century, Edo period (1615–1868)

Artist:

Japan

About this artwork

During the kesa’s early history, the design of the garment was highly codified, based upon the standards and practices of individual sects. But during the Edo period, when Japan essentially closed its borders and artists looked inward for inspiration, innovations were introduced that challenged this rigid tradition. The columns of patches universal to kesas were now occasionally inferred by motifs that created the desired impression, such as lines drawn on the surface of the uncut fabric or, as here, the addition of cording, now incomplete owing to wear.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Title

Kesa

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 1701–1800

Medium

Silk and gilt-paper strip; twill weave with secondary binding warps and supplementary patterning wefts, with couched plied silk

Dimensions

116.5 × 216.5 cm (45 7/8 × 85 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Eastman

Reference Number

1956.1228

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/4982/manifest.json

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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