Kesa

First half of the 19th century, Late Edo period (1789–1868)

Silk and gilt-paper strip; twill weave with secondary binding warps and supplementary patterning wefts; silk tassels

150.4 × 213.3 cm (59.2 × 84 in)

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Not currently on view

In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The fabric for this trapezoidal robe made for the Jodo sect is a famous type known in Japan as nishiki kinran a brocade that combines silk in various rich colors ( nishiki ) with flat gilt-paper thread ( kinran ). The pattern combines two types of dragons with two types of cloud designs in a Chinese manner. An inscription on the lining records that the robe was donated to the temple on February 14th (no year cited) by the presiding priest, a member of the 23rd generation of the family that owned the temple.

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