Over Robe (Uchikake) with Design of Bamboo Blinds, Curtain Screens, Decorative Fans, and Auspicous Motifs

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The stylized clouds, bamboo blinds (misu), minutely decorated curtain screens (kichō), and elaborate fans adorned with colorful strings (hiōgi) evoke the golden age of the Heian period (794–1185) court. This type of decorative pattern became fashionable during the second half of the Edo period (1615–1868) among wealthy chōnin ladies. It continued to be popular in an altered form into the early twentieth century, with vivid green becoming a favored ground color from the 1910s to 1930s, although there are examples in red and black. The over robe is covered in auspicious motifs. Among the skillfully rendered details are the translucency of the bamboo blinds, the ornamental patterns of the curtain screen, and the individual designs of the fans at the bottom of the robe, which emulate in silk, dyes, and gold leaf the decoration found on paper fans.

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