Outer Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and Butterflies

Outer Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and Butterflies

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The 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. The origins of the use of this garment among women of the samurai elite can be traced back to the Kamakura period (1185–1333). In the early Muromachi period (1392–1573) it was worn from early May to early September; from the end of the Muromachi period it was part of formal winter attire and made of thick materials. Starting in the mid-Edo period, it was constructed with white, black, and red figured satin and often fully embroidered with multicolored threads and gold. The uchikake is still worn over a kimono in the traditional wedding ceremony. This example is embellished with auspicious symbols, such as peonies—king of flowers, the first blossom of the spring—plum blossoms, and butterflies, which represent joy and longevity as well as marital happiness.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Outer Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and ButterfliesOuter Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and ButterfliesOuter Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and ButterfliesOuter Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and ButterfliesOuter Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and Butterflies

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.