Skip to product information
1 of 6

"Circle in the Square" Vintage Meisen Haori

"Circle in the Square" Vintage Meisen Haori

Delicate Ikat

Regular price $49.00
Regular price $69.00 Sale price $49.00
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
  • Ships from NY
  • One-of-a-kind
  • Sourced from Japan
This listing is for a vintage Japanese haori (kimono jacket).

This haori is a casual jacket - slightly shorter and smaller than most - with an ikat design of squares, each with a different color circle inside. The background silk is a very light pink.

Look closely to see that it is a double-ikat weave, with the "fuzzy" edges happening in the vertical and horizontal directions, which takes twice as much time to dye. (See details on meisen/ikat below.).

There are just a few slight blemishes similar to the one shown in the last photo, but this is a wearable jacket that would also make a cute display.

If you're going to wear this haori and want to accessorize it with a pair of haori himo, click the option for that above.

If you're going to display this haori and need a sturdy but simple hanging rod, click that option above. (The rod must be shipped separately.)

The traditional dyeing and weaving technique used to create this patterning is called meisen or ikat, and it involves dyeing the threads in a pattern before they are woven so that the images emerge on the loom. It's a fascinating and time-consuming process that takes great skill from many artisans. Watch the video below to be amazed.

Meisen kimono became popular in Japan in the Taisho Period of the early 1900s, after the sumptuary laws of the feudal period ended and "common folk" were once again able to wear colorful clothing. Even though the ikat process is time consuming and requires many steps and skill, meisen kimono were an affordable option for Japanese women who were looking to be fashionable. Art nouveau and art deco designs were popular, along with more traditional florals and geometrics that became exaggerated or expanded.

Here's a link to the Friis Collection website, which offers more detail about how meisen became popular in Japan as well as a gallery of her stunning meisen collection. And here's a link to the Chichibu Meisen Museum outside of Tokyo, where the process and the garments are celebrated.
.....
Read More...
Length: 26"
Width: 48"
Body/Hips: 40"
Made In (Estimated): 1950s
Condition: Excellent
Fiber: Silk
Technique: Ikat, Meisen, Kasuri
Colors: Light Pink, Rainbow
Motifs: Geometric

SKU:0823whnm5

Low stock: 1 left

View full details

Related videos