March 29–October 20, 2024
Carolyn C. and William A. McDonnell Gallery 100
Shimmering Silks: Traditional Japanese Textiles, 18th–19th Centuries
Silkworm cultivation was introduced to Japan from China during the 3rd to 4th centuries. The shiny fiber spun from the insect’s cocoon enabled the development of rich textile traditions. Early Japanese silk textiles exhibit Chinese-inspired patterns and designs, while later examples reveal the development of new types of garments and motifs.
Traditional silk textiles in Japan were primarily produced in the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyōto. They supplied the imperial family, hereditary nobility, feudal lords and ladies, high-ranking Buddhist clergy, and the upper levels of civil society. When the city of Edo was ruled by shōguns or military dictators between 1615 and 1868, significant quantities of silk textiles were also manufactured there. The industry continued when the city was renamed Tōkyō in 1868.
The Japanese have long regarded silk textiles as luxury items. In addition to the high cost of raw materials and the time and skill required to weave the cloth, silk could be embellished with brocading, embroidery, or hand-painting. The most stunning traditional Japanese silk textiles were used for imperial and Buddhist ceremonies, Kabuki and Nō theater performances, formal wear, and wedding costumes. The opulent quality and shimmering appearance of silk fibers enhanced special occasions whenever worn or displayed.
The Saint Louis Art Museum has collected fine Japanese textiles for more than a century. Some were purchased, while others were gifted by patrons and donors over many decades.
This exhibition is supported in part by the McDonnell Textile Endowment.
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868
Woman’s Long-sleeved Robe (furisode) with Design of Autumnal Flowers, Leaves, Fans, and Waves, early to mid-19th century
silk plain-weave crêpe (chirimen) with stencil-resist (katazome), hand-drawn paste resist dyeing (yūzen), and embroidery (shishū)
The Japanese term for this garment, furisode (“swinging sleeves”), refers to the long sleeves traditionally worn by younger and unmarried women. The sleeves are attached to the body of the robe only at the shoulder, with the inner edge left open past the shoulder. This allows the underrobe (juban) to show when worn and also permits the sash (obi) to be tied above the hips.
This furisode is made from a white silk plain-weave crêpe. The fabric is generously decorated with autumnal flowers, fruits, and leaves. These motifs were created using stencil-resist, hand-drawn paste resist dyeing, and embroidery. The bright colors reflect the wearer’s youth.
Gift of George R. Boyle 348:1958
Japanese
Shōwa period, 1926–1989
Standing Figurine of a Bride in Wedding Dress, mid-20th century
silk, cotton, metal, wood, and lacquer
This figurine represents a traditional Japanese bride in a variation of the shiromuku, or “pure white” wedding dress. Her outfit includes a long-sleeved silk robe (furisode) with trailing hem (kakeshita), a patterned brocade sash (obi), a red-and-white tie-dyed (shibori) obi sash (obiage), and a white and gold-sprinkled obi cord (obijime). The bride also wears white split-toe socks (tabi) and tight-fitting brocade-covered straw sandals (zori). The main accessories include a folding fan (sensu) and brocade purse (hakoseko). The pre-styled wig in the bunkin takashimada manner enhances the bride’s face from every angle. It is usually decorated with a set of matching hair ornaments.
Japanese brides have worn the shiromuku wedding ensemble in Shintō wedding ceremonies since the Muromachi period (1338–1573). All the garments and accessories are white, though the lining fabrics may also be in auspicious red, as seen in this figurine.
Spink Asian Art Collection, Bequest of Edith J. and C.C. Johnson Spink E13557.134
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868
Nō Costume (karaori) with Design of
Weeping Cherries and Clouds, 18th century
twill-weave silk brocaded with supplementary wefts of multicolored silk floss and gold paper-covered threads
This costume for the Nō theater consists of rectangles (dangawari) in a variety of colors alternating with gold brocade. Large and small blocks are patterned with stalks of weeping cherry in full bloom against a background of clouds.
Known in Japanese as karaori (literally “Chinese weave”), this type of garment features a stiff brocade technique. Horizontal wefts in long stitches of glossed silk threads were floated over an unglossed silk twill ground, while flat threads covered with gold paper were bound close to the twill ground weave. Although the rigid brocade does not drape easily, it creates an angular effect that is striking on the theater stage.
Museum Purchase 119:1919
Japanese
Shōwa period, 1926–1989
Standing Figurine of the Wisteria Maiden, mid-20th century
silk, cotton, metal, wood, and lacquer
This figurine depicts the Wisteria Maiden (Fuji-musume). She is dressed in a long-sleeved silk robe (furisode) with a design of blossoming wisteria. Her character comes from a famous Kabuki theater dance, wherein the spirit of a wisteria plant is transformed into a bashful and romantic young woman. In the town of Ōtsu on the shores of Lake Biwa, a painting of the Wisteria Maiden catches the eye of a male passerby. As he gazes into the painting, the maiden becomes so infatuated with him that she comes to life and steps out of the painting to dance. She writes him heartfelt letters but they go unanswered. Heartbroken, she re-enters the painting, where she remains in the last pose of the dance.
Spink Asian Art Collection, Bequest of Edith J. and C.C. Johnson Spink E13557.65
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868
Woman’s Outer Robe (uchikake) with Design of Azai Family Crests with Shell Game Boxes (kaioke) and Scattered Decorated Shells, early 19th century
silk satin damask (rinzu) with silk floss embroidery (shishū), tie-resist dyeing (shibori), metallic gold threads with couching, and hand painting with black ink (sumi)
The Azai family crest (kamon) appears throughout this red-dyed silk satin damask robe. The symbol for this well-known Japanese clan—called mitsumorikikkō ni hanabishi—comprises three adjacent hexagonal tortoiseshells, each containing a rhomboidal, four-petaled flower. The embroidered designs feature lacquered shell game boxes (kaioke) with loosened ornamental cords and scattered decorated shells. Such boxes have been used since the Heian period (794–1124) for storing decorated shells for a popular shell-matching game (kai-awase).
An uchikake is a lined silk outer robe with a wadded hem. It is worn over another garment without a sash, usually for formal occasions, weddings, or stage performances. Such robes are usually constructed with white-, black-, or red-patterned satin and embroidered with multicolored threads and gold.
Museum Purchase 113:1919
Japanese
Meiji period, 1868–1912
Woman’s One-piece Sash (maru-obi) with Design of Repeating Bands of Medallions Containing Dragons, Phoenixes, and Floral Motifs, late 19th century
plain-weave silk ground and supplementary weft patterning
This maru-obi, or one-piece sash, is the most formal type worn by Japanese women. The fabric has been unfolded to reveal its double width, while the original lengthwise crease remains visible.
The gray silk background is intricately brocaded with a repeating pattern of medallions including dragons, phoenixes, and birds, as well as floral, fan, and scroll shapes. Despite the variations in color, the motifs always remain within the same narrow limits. Near each end of the textile is a double stripe of plain gold threads.
Gift of Mrs. George O. Carpenter 78:1941
Japanese
Meiji period, 1868–1912
Woman’s One-piece Sash (maru-obi) with Design of Repeating Bands of Boxes for Painted Shells (kaioke), late 19th century
plain-weave silk ground and supplementary weft patterning
This textile has been woven in a continuous repeat pattern with a design of boxes for painted shells (kaioke). The motif also appears on a woman’s outer robe (uchikake) (113:1919) displayed nearby. The gray silk ground is brocaded with black and white silk as well as metallic threads in shades of gold, silver, and bronze, thereby imparting a subtle yet highly sophisticated appearance.
A long sash (obi) like this one was designed to be wrapped around a woman’s waist to help secure her robe, usually with a decorative knot formed at the back. There are several types of obi in Japan. This kind is called maru-obi (“one-piece sash”) because it is folded over to carry the same design on both sides and thus has only one seam.
Gift of Mrs. George O. Carpenter 77:1941
Japanese
Meiji period, 1868–1912
Hanging with Design of Dragon and Phoenix amidst Waves and Clouds, late 19th century
silk embroidered with multicolored silk floss and metallic wrapped threads
Flaming dragon with golden scales and a silver underbelly is depicted at the lower right of this decorative silk hanging. A phoenix with multicolored outstretched wings and streaming plumage is shown at the upper left. The undulating and cresting waves at the bottom are striped in hues of blue-gray, green-gray, and beige. Auspicious clouds in shades of red, green, blue, and brown appear against a light brown background. Framed by a border of yellow-brown silk fabric, the hanging’s subject matter comes from traditional imperial Chinese imagery of the dragon and phoenix, which symbolize the emperor and empress.
Gift of Mrs. Alexander B. Pierce 253:1951
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868
Wrapping Cloth (fukusa) with Design
of Sake Cups, early to mid-19th century
silk satin embroidered with multicolored silk floss and couched with gold-wrapped threads
This wrapping cloth (fukusa) features three shallow cups embroidered on crimson silk satin. Each is outlined in gold, and its interior decorated with symbols of longevity: three cranes, a tortoise, two elderly figures in a landscape with pine and bamboo, and a scholar-official admiring blossoming prunus with two young attendants. These motifs are embroidered with colored silk threads, while the background is decorated with couched gold thread.
During the Edo period, it was customary to present gifts on special occasions. They were covered or wrapped with a rectangular fukusa, which was later returned to the giver. The cups on this cloth, known as sakazuki, are for drinking Japanese rice wine, or sake. Sakazuki coated with red lacquer and those decorated with sprinkled gold and silver powder (maki-e), were made for feudal lords (daimyō) and the samurai classes (see images).
Museum Purchase 111:1919
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868
Buddhist Priest’s Stole (ōhi) with Design of Coiled Dragons, Lion-dogs, Peonies, and Chrysanthemums, 18th century
twill-weave silk ground with supplementary weft patterning
This long rectangular garment features a complex arrangement of coiled dragons, lion-dogs, peonies, and chrysanthemums. A geometric lattice filled with various
floral and scroll motifs is layered underneath. This technique is known as nishiki, a term describing textiles woven with several threads to create patterns and often translated as “brocade.” Most nishiki textiles use supplementary wefts (enuki) for the surface of the designs.
Functioning as a stole (ōhi), it would have been draped over the left forearm of a Buddhist priest. It is usually worn together and matches the fabric design of a much larger rectangular robe (kesa), an example of which is nearby (26:1985). The small, dark blue brocaded squares in the four corners of this ōhi symbolize the Guardians of the Four Directions (shitennō) in Buddhist cosmology.
Gift of Mrs. Newell Augur 11:1965
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868 or Meiji period, 1868–1912
Buddhist Priest’s Seven Column Robe (kesa) with Design of Dragons amidst Multicolored Clouds, 19th century
silk satin ground brocaded with silk supplementary wefts and silver-wrapped paper
This multicolored textile features a green silk satin ground brocade-woven with a supplementary weft pattern of four-clawed dragons in flight against swirling clouds. The motifs are based on Chinese textiles of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
Buddhist priests wear robes (kesa) like this one draped over the left shoulder and under the right arm. A common kesa design includes seven wider vertical columns (jō) within borders (yō), alternating with narrower columns. Square patches near each corner of the kesa represent one of the Guardians of the Four Directions (shitennō). Additionally, two slightly larger “attendant” squares (niten) flank the upper part of the central column. They may represent the bodhisattvas, or enlightened beings, Monju (Mañjuśrī) and Fugen (Samantabhadra), or the guardians of the Buddha known as the Two Benevolent Kings (ni-ō).
Bequest of Leona J. Beckmann 26:1985
Japanese
Meiji period, 1868–1912
Buddhist Altar Cloth (uchishiki) with Design of Coiled Dragons amidst Clouds, late 19th century
silk brocaded with supplementary wefts and metal-wrapped threads
Patterned silk squares, such as this one with dragons and clouds, were traditionally draped on Buddhist altars. In Japanese, these textiles are called uchishiki, meaning “strike” (uchi) and “spread out” (shiki). The term reflects the cloth’s origin, which was first laid out for Śākyamuni Buddha, whereupon disciples would bow in reverence, striking their foreheads to the ground. The cloths evolved into decorative textiles for the tops of Buddhist altars where statues and ceremonial implements are placed.
Such altar cloths were often made from garments worn by high-ranking women in the imperial family or the aristocracy. Others were temple donations from wealthy members of the lay community. With their rich multicolored designs, enhanced by large quantities of gold or silver thread, they represent the most complex and luxurious forms of weaving of the period.
Gift of Mrs. John E. Curby 689:1991
Japanese
Meiji period, 1868–1912
Panel with Design of Peony Scrolls and Butterflies, late 19th century
silk satin brocaded with supplementary wefts of silver-wrapped paper
A pattern of peony scrolls and butterflies adorns this rectangular textile. The design was brocaded with supplementary wefts of silver thread on a dark blue silk satin ground. The panel’s motifs derive from Chinese textile sources, particularly those from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
The fabric was produced with the Jacquard weave, a method introduced from Lyon, France, to the Nishijin textile district in Kyōto, Japan, in 1873. Creating such textiles is costly and labor-intensive due to the time and skill involved in making the Jacquard cards, preparing the loom for new patterns, and the slow pace of weaving. Typically, the Jacquard weave combines two or more basic weaves, with different ones used for the design and the background.
Bequest of Leona J. Beckmann 25:1985
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868
Nō Costume (nuihaku) with Design of Landscapes and Floral Vines, 18th century
red silk crêpe (chirimen) with stamped gold leaf over adhesive (inkin), embroidered with multicolored floss silk
Made from red silk crêpe (chirimen), this nuihaku robe was stamped with gold leaf over adhesive (inkin). It was then embroidered with landscapes and floral vines using multicolored floss silk. Nuihaku is a type of Nō costume for plays with young female protagonists. Often decorated like this example, they were originally worn as outer garments during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603).
In the Edo period (1615–1868), landscapes and scenic features associated with Nō plays were incorporated into nuihaku designs. Such motifs impart the narrative quality of pictorial scrolls and embody a Japanese sensibility distinct from traditional Chinese auspicious symbols. This may also be discerned in the embroidery, where the unspun threads were loosely looped to highlight the silk’s natural sheen.
Museum Purchase 117:1919
Japanese
Edo period, 1615–1868 or Meiji period, 1868–1912
Panel with Design of Diagonal Lattice with Dragons, Phoenixes, and Floral Sprays, mid-19th century
twill-weave silk with cut silk velvet (birōdo)
This textile was most likely made as a furnishing fabric in Kyōto, Japan. It features three joined pieces of velvet brocaded on a ground of beige-colored twill-weave silk. Dark green silk supplementary wefts outline an allover diagonal lattice pattern of lozenges containing various dragons, phoenixes, of floral motifs. Small rectangles, also edged in dark green, fill the spaces within alternating rows of lozenges.
Some of the panel’s motifs are highlighted in cut black velvet, thus providing additional visual and textural interest. Velvet wires were woven in from the sides to create the textile’s unique feathering and loops. Afterward, the warp around the wires was cut to raise the nap or fuzzy surface. The loops were then formed by pulling out the threads.
Museum Purchase 183:1920