Outer kimono (uchikake), plain weave silk crêpe with embroidered and freehand paste-resist dyed (yūzen) decoration, Japan, 1750-1800

Kimono of silk crêpe, freehand paste-resist dyed (yuzen) and embroidered with silk and gold-wrapped silk thread. The design is of flowers and leaves in a watery landscape, with birds and butterflies, against a blue ground. The garment is lined with red, plain weave silk.

Given by Mrs Sydney Aris

This kimono was given to the V&A by Sydney Dorothy Aris (1884-1966) who was born in Manra Island in Kiribati, the daughter of John T Arundel (1841-1919) who had various business interests in the Pacific including the mining of guano and phosphates. Arundel and his wife Lillie named their daughter for her place of birth, Manra being known as Sydney Island at the time. It is not known how Mrs Aris acquired her Japanese objects, but in correspondence with the museum she mentions knowing Thomas B Blow who lived in Kyoto from 1906 to at least 1914 and supplied Japanese objects to many collectors in Europe. It is not clear whether Aris herself visited Japan. In 1954, she also gave a large group of Japanese paintings and prints to the museum.

The short sleeves of this kimono indicate that it was probably worn by a married woman. The delicate design of flowers, birds and butterflies at the water's edge was created using a freehand method of drawing in paste on the fabric surface, a resist-dyeing technique known as yuzen. Touches of red, gold and green embroidery provide added contrast against the blue ground.

T.64-1954