Robe (Kosode) with Pine, Ivy, Chrysanthemums, and River

Robe (Kosode) with Pine, Ivy, Chrysanthemums, and River

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This sumptuous robe was made for the young Kyoto noblewoman Yuki-gimi (Princess Yuki), who was the daughter of the twentieth head priest of the influential Higashi Honganji Temple in Kyoto. It is very rare that the name of the original owner of an Edo-period garment is recorded. This kosode is a formal garment featuring the lady’s family crest on the back and around the neckline on the front. Its chartreuse ground, which was created using a Western aniline dye, is animated around the hem with vividly colored pine, ivy, and chrysanthemums—all auspicious symbols of longevity and youth that also featured in Japanese literary classics.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Robe (Kosode) with Pine, Ivy, Chrysanthemums, and RiverRobe (Kosode) with Pine, Ivy, Chrysanthemums, and RiverRobe (Kosode) with Pine, Ivy, Chrysanthemums, and RiverRobe (Kosode) with Pine, Ivy, Chrysanthemums, and RiverRobe (Kosode) with Pine, Ivy, Chrysanthemums, and River

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.