Fragment
Edo period (1615–1868), 1675/1725
Silk, twill damask weave; embroidered with silk and gilded-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped cotton in satin stitches and laid work and couching; stenciled
36.8 × 23.5 cm (14.5 × 9.3 in)
SEE IT IN PERSON
● On view now — Gallery 58
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
This fragment combines three different methods of patterning: weaving, dyeing, and embroidery. No single technique overpowers the others, creating a harmonious whole. While the beauty of the decoration and colors can still be appreciated in the textile’s fragmentary state, the precise meaning of the embroidered character in the center has been lost: It cannot be interpreted because it has been separated from the rest of the textile and, therefore, the rest of the text.
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