Description A Japanese woman’s most formal Kimono is the black “Tomesode” with the requisite Family Crests or “Mon.” It receives its name from the length of its sleeve, the ultimate arbitrator of a woman’s age in Japanese society. The Tomesode which was the name of the shorter sleeve also became the name of the actual garment itself. It distinguishes the married woman or older unmarried woman from the young who traditionally wear the “Furisode” (swinging sleeves) which is brighter, bolder and attracts attention to the wearer, something a married woman would not want to do. This striking pillow has been pieced together from an elegant garment that portrays a calm, composed and dignified presence with a subdued sophistication representative of the responsibilities of social adulthood. It has been hand stenciled using the Rice Paste Resist method of painting on Silk. This process required that each color be applied separately, while all the others were painted out in the rice paste. Each time a new color was added, the rice paste had to be removed by soaking it out over and over again in the local river water and then reapplied. This technique required a great amount of skill by the artist as well as being extremely labor intensive. Natural dyes were used on this hand woven Silk weave. A Certificate of Authenticity is included. TTAC will personally pack and ship via UPS at company expense within the continental United States.
