Yuzen-painted Furisode. Mid-Meiji period (1880-1900),
Japan. The Kimono Gallery.
A remarkable chirimen silk furisode featuring a yuzen-dyed
Mount Horai scene, with ocean waves beating against shore rocks with pines,
while cranes fly far overhead. Some embroidery highlighting. The crane is one
of the three major mystical animals, together with the dragon and the tortoise.
Its chief symbolic meaning is long life. With their lifespan of some thirty
years, cranes were thought to live not just decades but thousands of years,
becoming virtually synonymous with immortality. At Japanese weddings it is a
symbol of loyalty. Also associated with the qualities of honour and wisdom,
cranes were believed to be intermediaries between heaven and earth, a messenger
of the gods to humans, thus symbolizing the spiritual ability to enter a higher
state of consciousness. Furthermore, the crane also represents a lasting
soaring spirit, health, and happiness. Their white bodies stand for purity and
their red heads denote vitality. In Japan, the pine tree is considered one of
the most beautiful trees. Several pine trees in Japan are over 800 years old.
Over time the climate and other natural causes, as well as pruning and
trimming, form the picturesque pine tree. It is one of the most auspicious
symbols in all Japan of fortune and nobility. The pine is considered sacred, a
belief that may stem from ancient Shinto ideas of trees and other plants as
representations of divine spirits. In Japan, entrances to houses are often
decorated with pine branches to welcome the Gods of New Year; its needle-shaped
leaves are believed to have the power to drive away unwanted demons and
protecting good fortune. The long life of this tree and the fact that they are
evergreen make them a symbol of strength, longevity and endurance. Considered to
be the most aristocratic of all trees, the imperial gardens of Japan are full
of pines. Befitting its status, the samurai as well as other nobles and
aristocrats commissioned artists to paint pine trees as a means of wishing long
life and auspiciousness. With regards to the five ‘tomoe’-design family crests
on this garment: during the period of feudal strife in Japan, the tomoe design
came to be regarded as the personal symbol of Hachimon, god of war. The design
also became the most popular decoration under the eaves and on the tiled rood
edges of temples – apparently in the belief that the design represented a
whirlpool and would serve the talismanic purpose of waterproofing the building.
As a heraldic device, the tomoe was thus not merely and elegant design in its
own right, but also possessed desirable religious and martial qualities. All
the artwork on this kimono represent a simplified version Mount Horai. The
Taoists believe that Mount Horai was a paradise located in the Eastern Sea (Sea
of Japan). Considering that the silk of this kimono is rather course and warm,
and the Mount Horai subject matter, suggests this furisode was created for a
winter wedding, perhaps by the bride’s unmarried sister, or alternatively by
the bride herself prior to the main wedding ceremony.