Antique Silk Embroidered Kimono. Flower motif. 

Condition: As found. 

Size: (arms outstretched) 48 X 43 in. 

#4007 . 

The kimono (literally translated as “thing to wear”) is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono is traditionally worn with a broad sash, called an obi, and is commonly worn with accessories such as zōri sandals and tabi socks. Kimono have a set method of construction and are typically made from a long, narrow bolt of cloth known as a tanmono, though Western-style fabric bolts are also sometimes used nowadays. There are different types of kimono for men, women, and children, varying based on the occasion, the season, the wearer’s age, and the wearer’s marital status, although this last practice has fallen out of vogue in modern times. Despite the kimono’s reputation as a formal and difficult-to-wear garment, there are types of kimono suitable for both formal and informal occasions, and is not dissimilar from common western wear such as the Ancient Greek and Roman-style robe, or even the West African Dashiki. The history of the kimono can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185 AD), when Japan’s nobility embraced a distinctive style of clothing. In the modern era they are most often seen at summer festivals, where people frequently wear the yukata, the most informal type of kimono. More formal types are worn to funerals, weddings, graduations, and other important events. Several castes of Japanese society are still required to wear a kimono at all times in public as part of their profession, including Geisha, maiko, and rikishi (sumo wrestlers). Despite the small number of people who wear it regularly and its reputation as a complicated garment, the kimono has experienced a number of revivals since the dawn of the 21st Century, and is still worn today as fashionable clothing in Japan and those who wish to emulate and honor traditional Japanese garments.

As found.