This listing is for a vintage Japanese nagoya style obi from the Fuller Collection. See below for details on this exceptional group of Japanese textiles.

Nagoya obi have a specialized shape - folded and sewn to a 6-7" width for the portion that wraps around the waist but left wide (13-14") for about one yard at the end which would be tied into an elaborate bow.

This obi features a colorful collage of abstract geometic shapes in autumn colors - gold, green, orange and copper. There is a crackling effect in the weave that gives a batik look, but the design was woven, not dyed.

The pattern continues along the front of the obi but with a solid coppery brown portion that would be hidden as an underlayer as the obi is wound around the waist. Behind the  wide belt section is the same coppery brown silk. 

Note that there is some fading of the edges on the backside, but these would not show if the obi is worn.

See videos below on the different styles of obi as well as ideas for displaying them.

The Fuller Collection – originally over 2000 kimono – was the passion and pride of Richard Fuller of Chicago, IL and Wabasha, MN. Richard served as a US Marine in post-war Japan, and there began his love of and appreciation for vintage Japanese kimono – especially wedding kimono. Richard saw that the mastery and artisanship of traditional Japanese textile techniques was waning – threatening to die out altogether – which sparked his mission to promote this industry and preserve what he could. Click here to read one of his interviews.

Together with his wife Janith, Richard invested in thousands of kimono and obi, opening Wind Whisper West, a kimono gallery in Wabasha, MN in 2003. Most of the collection was sold there, but several hundred pieces remain. Richard passed in 2020, and Janith has consigned the remainder of the collection to Kyoto Kimono to offer through our website. We are honored and proud to be stewarding the Fuller Collection as each piece finds its new home and continues to bring wonder and beauty to admirers around the world.