Textile ArtsJapanese17th century

Buddhist Priest's Robe (Kesa) with Abstract and Stylized Gourd Decor

Early Edo period, circa 1680

Description

A Buddhist priest's robe known in Japan as a kesa (Sanskrit, kasaya), this rectangular garment is made up of mulitple pieces of the same cloth that together form a patchwork of columns and rectangles framed within a border. The fabric is a luxurious resist-dyed orange silk with abstract patterns made utilizing the "kanoko shibori" tie-dye technique whereby multiple tiny areas of fabric were tied off before the dying process in order to preserve small circular areas of white reserved, the tiny white spots combining to form larger shapes and lines when viewed from afar. The fabric here was further embellished with images of stylized double-gourds decorated with leaves and vines. The gourds, vines, and leaves were embroidered in white, light pink, and light green silk threads and gold. Darker rectangular areas throughout the kesa indicate that rectangular pieces of another fabric (now lost) were once stitched onto selected areas of the patchwork kesa, protecting the main orange fabric beneath from fading through light exposure.

Classification

Textile Arts

Medium

Resist-dyed orange silk utilizing the tie-dye (kanoko shibori) technique; selected motifs embroidered in polychrome silk and gold

Culture

Japanese

Period

Edo period, 1615-1868

Century

17th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Asian Art

Dimensions

H. 102.9 x W. 205.7 cm (40 1/2 x 81 in.)

Provenance

[T. Kita, Kyoto, by 1926], sold; to Louis V. Ledoux Collection, New York (1926-1948), by descent; to his son L. Pierre Ledoux, New York (1948-2001), by inheritance; to his widow Joan F. Ledoux, New York, (2001-2013), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2013. Footnotes: 1. Louis V. Ledoux (1880-1948) 2. L. Pierre Ledoux (1912-2001) 3. On long term loan to Harvard Art Museums from 1985 to 2013.