Old Kesa Japanese Priest’s Robe, Hosoge and Karakusa
SOLD. THANK YOU!
Beautiful Japanese kesa made from a very high quality silk brocade. The work shown on this kesa is truly amazing. The gold picks up light easily and when it does, it changes the whole kesa to a golden color. The decoration is an auspicious floral design of hosoge (ancient imaginary flowers said to bloom in heaven) and karakusa. It will be impossible to produce a kesa of this quality today because of the steep decline in the quality of materials and workmanship since the time that this kesa was made.
The condition of the front side is excellent (clean) with some very light stains (difficult to even spot them). The code is soiled (not so much as shown in the photos - under the sun, it looks clean). The reverse side is soiled and discolored with stains in some areas. This is probably dated from the late Meiji (1868-1912). The dimensions: 80 1/2" wide and 52" long on one side and 43 1/2" long on the other side. The ivory ring is 4” in diameter.
