Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Outer Robe (Katsugi) with Chrysanthemum Crest
Not on view
A katsugi is a woman’s mantle or coatlike veil, usually in the shape of a kosode, worn pulled over the head with the sleeves unused. Some katsugi were made of silk, but most were hemp with indigo-dyed patterns. This example represents a type with a large flower motif, here a chrysanthemum crest, where the garment covers the head. As the chrysanthemum crest is placed lower than usual and the robe’s other patterns are relatively simple, this could be a regional variation of katsugi made for a commoner in Kyoto, where it remained popular throughout the Edo period. Stencil-dyeing and tube-drawn paste-resist dyeing (tsutsugaki) were used to create patterns on this robe in white reserve: the applied rice paste resisted the indigo dye. From shoulder to hem, the patterns are: chrysanthemums and stylized concentric motifs among small dots against an indigo ground; plum blossoms on a green ground; stylized hemp leaves against an indigo ground; and bracken fern fiddleheads on a blue-black ground.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
