Outer Robe (Uchikake) with Phoenixes and Paulownia

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

An uchikake is a lined silk robe with a wadded or padded hem, worn over another garment without a sash, usually for formal occasions or stage performances. Such outer robes often feature a layer of silk filaments between the outer “ground” fabric and the lining, and the wadded hem was intended to add weight to the lower edge of the garment, helping to preserve its straight line. This example was made as a wedding garment and accordingly displays a wealth of auspicious symbols in its decoration. In China the phoenix was a symbol of longevity and good fortune, appearing during times of prosperity and signaling the advent of good government. In Japan, paintings of phoenixes roosting on paulownia trees were a specialty of the Kano-school artists, and their designs were adapted to textile art as well.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art