Kosode with design of spring flowers and pheasants Paste-resist (Yuzen) and tie-dyeing on yellow silk crepe (chirimen)
This kosode is believed to have been produced during the Horeki / Meiwa era, in the second quarter of the 18th century. Although it is not as evident as other works, the composition of this kosode is divided into upper and lower sections in anticipation of the wide obi. Nonetheless, the stream running from the top of the mountain to the field spreading at its foot, the azalea arranged at the shoulder, and the dandelion, thistle, field horsetail and other plants depicted in the lower section project an impression of a mountain landscape in late spring.
Late spring is the nesting season for the pheasant, one of Japan's best-known wild birds. Pheasant meat has long been considered a delicacy to be served on festive occasions, such as at wedding ceremonies. In the saying, 'The mother's heart yearns for her child,' a pheasant's devotion to its young and refusal to abandon the nest, even when a fire is approaching, is compared to a man's deep love for his wife and children. The depiction of a pair of pheasants seems to imply this meaning. The liberated manner in which the flowing stream was created by paste-resist dyeing, and the elaborate coloring and embroidery are all of superb technical quality. It is interesting that the flowing stream is used to create an impression of distance.
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Kosode with design of spring flowers and pheasants Paste-resist (Yuzen) and tie-dyeing on yellow silk crepe (chirimen)
The second quarter of the eighteenth century
(Mid-Edo period) Former collection of Sugiura Saburobe
