Bolt of Brocaded Silk for Obi featuring Gosho Guruma (Noble’s Carriage) and Hi-ogi (Heian Fan) Motifs
20th
Scroll
Bolt of Brocaded Silk for Obi featuring Gosho Guruma (Noble’s Carriage) and Hi-ogi (Heian Fan) Motifs
20th
Physical Qualities
Silk, metal-leafed paper strips, and metal-leafed paper strips wrapped around silk or cotton core, 166 1/2 × 27 3/4 in. (422.9 × 70.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Randall Lewis, Bethesda, Maryland, in Honor of Arnold Lehman
Object Number
2016.237
Bolt (tan) of silk brocade with greyish green (olive) ground and large-scale figures including: 1.) A fence with prunus, chrysanthemums, and other floral motifs possibly kikyo (bell flowers). The interior of the fence is patterned in Shippo--tsumage or joined circle motifs. A cloud formation is situated below the design obscuring what would have been the bottom of the fence. 2.) A noble's carriage (gosho guruma) with pine, chrysanthemum, plum blossoms, and other plant designs (possibly bamboo and maple) paired with a cloud formation (kumo). The historical trio of pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms are referred to as “Sho-Chiku-Bai”, or “the three friends of winter”; and 3.) A Hi-ogi or Heian fan paired with wisteria, chrysanthemum and other flowers. The fan is patterned in the saya-gata design (wan, Buddhist swastika) and rests on a cloud formation (kumo). Gold mists and clouds are interspersed with these motifs. The designs are woven with flat surface-gilded gold paper, and brocaded in greyish blue and sage green silk with additional gold threads created from yarns that are coiled in gilded paper strips. The sides of the bolt are complete selvages. The ends are cut. The woven repeat equals half the width of the fabric (13-5/8") and the vertical repeat is 17-3/4". Two repeats fill the complete width.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2016; Dr. Randall Lewis, Bethesda, MD, via inheritance from father, via purchase in Japan about 1946.
Inscribed: Stamps (kanji characters) in purple ink appear at one end of the fabric, probably a manufacturer’s mark. One stamp includes: "[something unreadable] Kogyou Kumiai" [first word refers to “industry”, the second word refers to “guild”]. Another character within a circle includes: “Gokaku” [means “passed inspection”]. Near that a third character says: “Kyoka Hin” [means “permitted item”]. Small paper tag attached to the silk material includes a red Kanji character encircled by a red wreath. This is probably the logo of the merchant that carried the silk.