Featured Kimono
I arrived in Japan in 1984, fresh from two years traipsing outlying villages in China. I was curious about modern kimono, as I’d only seen precious antique examples in Western museums. As I sought guidance at the universities, I was repeatedly told that such a subject wasn’t worth researching. (Something which has changed greatly in this interim!) So I found myself in a country with exceptionally high literacy but not much available to read. I began by gathering samples & questioning everyone: retailers, older ladies, craftspeople. I owe so much so my generous translators, including one fellow retired from the forensic department of the police, who began each section with a look at fiber under the ‘scope.
When Lawrence Smith, then Keeper of the Japanese Department at the British Museum, came to visit, he supported this effort.
It was the beginning of my long fascination and years of study. The specifics of materials and techniques have widened to an interest in the movement of goods, the marketing of style trends, and the strong emotions binding the owner to the garment. I can’t help continuing to acquire and pass on the garments, with ever more backgrounds to the stories.
Here are just a few. If you have special interests, please get in touch.
Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: meisen 銘仙
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 87, 125
Notes: 64.5 cm. long sleeve
Price: $2000
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: meisen 銘仙
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 90, 127
Notes: 59 cm. long sleeve
Price: $2200
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: kata yuzen 型友禅, rinzu 綸子
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 73, 122
Notes: Bold feather/foliage yuzen design; gold touches; 76 cm. pattern repeat; sleeve length: 52 cm.
Price: $1500
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: hand painted
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 75, 126
Notes: Cross hatched brush-effect pattern; one embroidered mon; woven lining is special, includes some gold thread; sleeve length: 55 cm.
Price: $1600
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Category: haori
Date: 1960s/70s
Technique: warp kasuri 経絣
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 76, 128
Notes: Attractive squiggle pattern in very excellent quality silk
Price: $1800
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: meisen 銘仙
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 80, 122
Notes: Post-war haori with abstract brush-stroke effect pattern; sleeve length: 57 cm.
Price: $1300
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: tegaki yuzen 筒描き友禅, rinzu 綸子
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 77, 128
Notes: Stylized pine needle design
Price: $1500
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Category: haori
Date: 1960s/70s
Technique: woven 織物
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 74, 128
Notes: Hand painted over fancy weave with weft protrusions
Price: $2000
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Category: haori
Date: 1960s/70s
Technique: kata yuzen 型友禅, tegaki yuzen 筒描き友禅
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 67, 128
Notes: Shapes of this expressive pattern are repeated (katayuzen?) but colors varied, as painting was done by hand
Price: $1600
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: kata yuzen 型友禅, tegaki yuzen 筒描き友禅, rinzu 綸子
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 70, 121
Notes: Hand painted geometric repeat on heavy jacquard (fans)
Price: $1800
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: weft kasuri 緯絣
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 96 x 124
Notes: Super dynamic midcentury design rendered in warp meisen; sleeve length: 62 cm.
Price: $1300
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: shibori 絞り
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 78, 132
Notes: Shibori floral design elements carefully matched; sleeve length: 50 cm.
Price: $2000
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Category: haori
Date: 1960s/70s
Technique: tegaki yuzen 筒描き友禅, rinzu 綸子
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 75, 128
Notes: Hand dyed in yellows and oranges exactly over woven geometric pattern
Price: $1600
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Category: haori
Date: Post-war
Technique: meisen 銘仙
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 84 x 120
Notes: Not entirely accurately aligned warps at time of weaving
Price: $1300
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Taisho
Technique: katazome 型染め
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 124, 132
Notes: Made of sample yardage of small 23 unique two and three-color printed patterns; lined with white cotton
Price: $2000
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Early Showa
Technique: warp kasuri 経絣
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 113, 120
Notes: Very heavy silk cloth; comprised of a patchwork of bright, geometrically patterned samples
Price: $2100
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Taisho
Technique: print
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 123 x 112
Notes: Comprised of a wide variety of graphic sample prints; frayed at hem
Price: $2000
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Early Showa
Technique: print
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 128 x 124
Notes: Comprised of a patchwork of numerous small-scale sample prints
Price: $2000
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Early Showa
Technique: warp kasuri 経絣, double kasuri 経緯絣
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 146, 130
Notes: Patched from extra heavy warp kasuri and warp stripes woven silk samples; sleeve length: 53 cm.
Price: $2500
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Early Showa
Technique: print
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 124 x 122
Notes: A rectangular patchwork of numerous small-scale sample prints
Price: $2000
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Early Showa
Technique: katazome 型染め
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 122, 125
Notes: Comprised of samples of tiny-scale dark monochrome and two-color prints
Price: $1500
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Taisho
Technique: kata yuzen 型友禅
Material: wool
Height/Width (cm): 117, 124
Notes: A patchwork of various printed patterns; patterns on sleeves and collar may be older
Price: $1500
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Taisho
Technique: katazome 型染め, rinzu 綸子
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 122, 122
Notes: Constructed of sample pattern fabric, including "my dear" print; colors and patterns very "modern"
Price: $2500
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Category: nagajuban
Date: Post-war
Technique: patchwork, print
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 126 x 130
Notes: Comprised of numerous floral sample prints; patches sewn together; unlined
Price: $1500
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Category: nagajuban
Date: 1950s
Technique: katazome 型染め
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 128, 126
Notes: Made using an interesting set of prints, both colors and style; sample fabric used to line sleeves and for interior hem facing
Price: $2000
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Post-war
Technique: jacquard
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 119, 128
Notes: Raincoat with pocket and snaps; optic graduated diamond pattern; sleeve length: 47 cm.; shortened by 9 cm.
Price: $600
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Taisho
Technique: shibori 絞り
Material: silk, "raw ""gasu"""
Height/Width (cm): 116, 125
Notes: Shibori florettes on bright ground; color in detail photo is accurate; sleeve length: 66 cm.
Price: $1700
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Post-war
Technique: woven 織物
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 94, 130
Notes: Weave structure is very special; pocket in seam and snaps under fake button closure; label sewn in; sleeve length: 48 cm.; red check lining
Price: $1700
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Early Showa
Technique: rinzu 綸子
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 87 x 128
Notes: Woven pattern imitating kanoko shibori; origami print lining; pocket; buttons over snaps closure
Price: $1000
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Post-war
Technique: woven 織物
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 83, 131
Notes: A very complex weave creating scrolling folliate pattern; pocket and buttons closure; sleeve length: 52 cm.
Price: $2200
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Taisho
Technique: shibori 絞り
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 127, 120
Notes: Intriguing shibori forms; pocket, fake buttons with snap closure; unlined; ground cloth is lightly ribbed; sleeve length: 60 cm; curved hem
Price: $1700
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Post-war
Technique: woven 織物
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 124, 123
Notes: Raincoat with pocket, buttons; faux center back seam; satin faced
Price: $600
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Early Showa
Technique: weft kasuri 緯絣
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 102, 126
Notes: Sleeve length: 57 cm.; pocket
Price: $1700
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Category: michiyuki
Date: 1960s/70s
Technique: woven 織物
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 121, 127
Notes: Optical-effect dot pattern; pocket, button closure
Price: $1500
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Early Showa
Technique: woven 織物
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 116, 124
Notes: Unusual neckline; faux buttons; sleeve length: 67 cm.
Price: $1200
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Post-war
Technique: woven texture
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 84, 124
Notes: Scattered polkadot pattern; pocket
Price: $1700
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Category: michiyuki
Date: Post-war
Technique: woven 織物
Material: wool, silk
Height/Width (cm): 91, 126
Notes: Sleeve shortened by 10 cm.; contains pockets
Price: $2000
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Category: michiyuki
Date: 1960s/70s
Technique: kata yuzen 型友禅
Material: silk
Height/Width (cm): 109, 128
Notes: Green pine needle bushels on bright background finished with hand details (gold pigment, red to yellow ground)
Price: $1800
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