Vintage Japanese Formal Pheonix Embroidery Silk Kimono

A vintage Japanese silk Kuro Tomesode Kimono, circa 1950s-1980s. Kuro Tomesode is a dress for married woman for the most formal occasions, equivalent of the evening gowns in the west. It is overall black, decorated only with patterns of bright colors on the bottom.

This kimono has ...A vintage Japanese silk Kuro Tomesode Kimono, circa 1950s-1980s. Kuro Tomesode is a dress for married woman for the most formal occasions, equivalent of the evening gowns in the west. It is overall black, decorated only with patterns of bright colors on the bottom.

This kimono has three Mon family crests on the front and back shoulder. It is lined with white silk in its interior. On the front, it features exposed white stitches around neck and breast, a very subtle and elegant touch.

The bottom part of the kimono is decorated with an embroidery imagery of two phoenix in flight. The lavish use of gold and polychrome threads and meticulous rendition of the birds contrast greatly with the otherwise sober black background. Pheonix is the mythical bird traditionally represents the Queen or Female Supreme in Chinese culture.

Known as Hoo-oo in Japanese, Pheonix is a symbol of good fortune, power and divine wisdom and represents the sun goddess Amaterasu, the Queen of Heaven and Creation, who was believed to be the ancestor of the lines of the Japanese imperial family. A very elegant textile for wall hanging or perhaps wearing.