Kimono, plain weave banana fibre with indigo-dyed stencil decoration, Ryukyu Islands, 1880-1920

Robe of banana fibre (bashofu) cut in the usual style, with the sleeves left open toward the body of the garment. The robe is of plain weave (tabby) and has a staggered diamond design reserved in white on a blue ground. The design was produced by the resist stencil method called aigata in the Ryukyus. An identical design appears on the reverse of the cloth indicating that after the resist had been applied to the front, the back was brushed with water then scraped with a knife, drawing the paste through the cloth. The entire length of cloth would then have been brushed with dye on both sides.
The shoulder section is lined with soft white cotton with a formalised flower design in blue.

Purchased. Registered File number 1981/1804.

Okinawa

This kimono was made in the Ryukyuan islands, the archipelago that stretches to the south of mainland Japan. The cloth known as bashofu is unique to the islands, the fibre being obtained from the leaves of the thread banana plant. The staggered diamond design, reserved in white on a dark blue ground, was created using rice-paste and stencils. The elegance of the design and the fineness of the bashofu cloth suggest that this garment would have been worn by a member of the elite.

FE.7-1983