Robe (kosode) with landscape and seasonal flowers

Robe (kosode) with landscape and seasonal flowers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The opening of Japan’s ports to international trade in 1854, followed by the social and historical changes of the Meiji period, transformed the textile industry. From the 1880s, Empress Shōken (1849–1914) and her court promoted the adoption of Western-style fashion along with the development of domestic textile manufacture. This early Meiji-period robe was probably made for an aristocratic lady. Its purple figured satin fabric with cranes and geometric patterns was dyed with aniline pigment imported from the West. Strong purple, red, or green colors became popular, and purple in particular was reserved for high-ranking ladies. At the center of the composition is a landscape with a blossoming cherry tree, full moon, flying geese, maples and, around the hem, a thatched hut, autumn flowers, and grasses. These motifs are executed in very fine, beautifully stitched embroidery.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Robe (kosode) with landscape and seasonal flowersRobe (kosode) with landscape and seasonal flowersRobe (kosode) with landscape and seasonal flowersRobe (kosode) with landscape and seasonal flowersRobe (kosode) with landscape and seasonal flowers

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.