Harvard Art Museums > 2013.72: Buddhist Priest's Robe (Kesa) with Abstract and Stylized Gourd Decor Textile Arts Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Buddhist Priest's Robe (Kesa) with Abstract and Stylized Gourd Decor , 2013.72,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 26, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/211664. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2013.72 Title Buddhist Priest's Robe (Kesa) with Abstract and Stylized Gourd Decor Classification Textile Arts Work Type costume Date Early Edo period, circa 1680 Places Creation Place: East Asia, Japan Period Edo period, 1615-1868 Culture Japanese Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/211664 Physical Descriptions Medium Resist-dyed orange silk utilizing the tie-dye (kanoko shibori) technique; selected motifs embroidered in polychrome silk and gold Dimensions H. 102.9 x W. 205.7 cm (40 1/2 x 81 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [T. Kita, Kyoto, by 1926], sold; to Louis V. Ledoux Collection, New York (1926-1948), by descent; to his son L. Pierre Ledoux, New York (1948-2001), by inheritance; to his widow Joan F. Ledoux, New York, (2001-2013), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2013. Footnotes: 1. Louis V. Ledoux (1880-1948) 2. L. Pierre Ledoux (1912-2001) 3. On long term loan to Harvard Art Museums from 1985 to 2013. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Louis V. Ledoux Collection; Gift of Mrs. L. Pierre Ledoux in memory of her husband Accession Year 2013 Object Number 2013.72 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description A Buddhist priest's robe known in Japan as a kesa (Sanskrit, kasaya), this rectangular garment is made up of mulitple pieces of the same cloth that together form a patchwork of columns and rectangles framed within a border. The fabric is a luxurious resist-dyed orange silk with abstract patterns made utilizing the "kanoko shibori" tie-dye technique whereby multiple tiny areas of fabric were tied off before the dying process in order to preserve small circular areas of white reserved, the tiny white spots combining to form larger shapes and lines when viewed from afar. The fabric here was further embellished with images of stylized double-gourds decorated with leaves and vines. The gourds, vines, and leaves were embroidered in white, light pink, and light green silk threads and gold. Darker rectangular areas throughout the kesa indicate that rectangular pieces of another fabric (now lost) were once stitched onto selected areas of the patchwork kesa, protecting the main orange fabric beneath from fading through light exposure. Publication History Julia Meech, "Louis V. Ledoux: Collector of Japanese Textiles", Impressions, Japanese Art Society of America (Lexington, 2022), No. 43: part one of double issue, pp. 99-128, pp. 116-117, fig. D Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
