Furisode with design of pine-bark inspired lozenges, hemp-leaf pattern, crane roundels, and plum trees
This furisode is thought to be from the third quarter of the 19th century. Hemp leaves and cranes were tie-dyed (kanoko-shibori) within the large pine-bark inspired diamonds. Interspersed between these motifs are old plum trees, depicted with embroidery and tie-dyeing. This furisode is thought to have been used for wedding ceremonies as the design includes pine, plums, cranes and hemp leaves, all of which are good luck omens.
The Edo period witnessed the establishment of a class-based society, with family background and social status clearly defined. Bans on wastefulness were often decreed during Edo period to assist in the restructuring of public finances and to maintain the feudal system. This was, in fact, a government attempt to weaken the influence of townspeople who had became an affluent sector of society. With the exception of some feudal lords with particularly large fiefdoms, the economic gap between the samurai and affluent townspeople widened over time. This wealth differential was explicitly demonstrated by the clothes worn by women.
It was compulsory for samurai to follow clothing regulations. Samurai wore high quality clothes, but the townspeople's clothing was more luxurious in terms of design and manufacturing methods. Wedding costumes, despite being worn by townspeople only once, incorporated the best available techniques and designs. This furisode is an excellent example of such high quality work.
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Furisode with design of pine-bark inspired lozenges, hemp-leaf pattern, crane roundels, and plum trees
Tie-dyeing and embroidery on white figured silk satin (rinzu)
The third quarter of the nineteenth century (Late Edo period)
Heirloom of the Okao Family
