Sayuka

I've been trying to make a picture catalogue of my kimono collection for insurance and organization needs, and I thought I might put it up here for everyone's amusement (and in case my other copies of it get lost).

This is a Heisei period furisode with a design of cherry blossoms, or a long sleeved kimono probably made in the 2000s. It has a tag from the Mitsukoshi department store, Japan's largest department store whose origins date to the 17th century. Here is a [link] for a more comprehensive history of Mitsukoshi, but essentially the business has always had a history with textiles. Along with its Kyoto equivalent Takashimaya, the Tokyo based Mitsukoshi has been selling quality kimono for well over a century, and I'm glad that I finally have a kimono from one of these famous stores. I normally could never afford to just walk in and buy a kimono from Takashimaya or Mitsukoshi, but because this one exchanged enough hands until it made its way to a second-hand kimono dealer, it became much more affordable.

I don't have a lot of cherry blossoms in my collection as I tend towards autumnal motifs, so this is a very welcome addition. I really love how despite the fact that the cherry blossoms were probably done in stencil-dyed yuzen as opposed to freehand, the random mix of different styles makes the individual blossoms feel unique. The gold leaf mist and complex pattern woven into the rinzu silk makes this piece feel special even though it probably has several twins. It's really well designed.

For a name I chose Sayuka, combining the kanji for cherry blossom, evening, and perfume. The deep purple color makes it feel like twilight, and the golden mist makes it seem as if the air is heady with the aroma of the cherry blossoms.