Kesa (Early 19th century, Late Edo period (1789–1868)): Artwork and History

Kesa (Early 19th century, Late Edo period (1789–1868)) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as Japan.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

This kesa was among the first to enter the Art Institute's collection, in 1895. It is noteworthy for its large size, state of completeness (with ring, loop, cords, and tassels), and its pattern showing a profusion of European and Asian flowers. The pattern was made in the kara-ori technique, in which weft-float brocading resembles embroidery. An inscription on the lining states that the kesa was worn by the grand priest of a Buddhist temple.

Object facts

• Title: Kesa
• Date: Early 19th century, Late Edo period (1789–1868)
• Artist attribution: Japan
• Place of origin: Japan
• Medium: Silk; satin weave with supplementary patterning wefts; silk cords and tassels; ivory ring
• Dimensions: 134 × 340.6 cm (55 1/2 × 134 in.)
• Type: Religious/Ritual Object
• Department: Textiles
• Reference number: 1895.375

Collection credit

Gift of Mrs. Charles B. Pope through the Antiquarian Society

View the original

Explore the artwork in the Art Institute's collection, including its image and the museum's current catalogue details.

The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.