This blog entry is going to begin much the way the others do. I was creeping around on a shopping service, and I found a kimono I liked. In this case, I bought a beautiful antique green furisode (formal kimono for unmarried women with long swinging sleeves). Take a look: Pictured: This is the last … Continue reading Restoration In Progress–Work Cut Out For Me
Antique Haori–Hold My Tsuba
Vibrant And Uniquely Designed Sword Guards On Crackle Textured Black Silk. Top tsuba: Kaede (maple leaf), kamon, and one magatamaBottom tsuba: Ume (plum blossoms) and branchesSeigaiha (waves)Ryu (dragon)...I'm actually not sure what this is supposed to be, if not just a flourish.Tsuru (crane)Ume (plum blossoms)Matsu (pine) Botan (peony)Sasa (bamboo), kani (crab)Sasa (bamboo)Tsuki (moon), nami (waves)Tsuki … Continue reading Antique Haori–Hold My Tsuba
Antique Irotomesode–Flashy Phoenix
Flamboyantly Colored Phoenixes In Flight Over Bright Pines And Chrysanthemums On Red Silk. I picked this piece up recently, and it's already up here because I get real goddamn excited about things that qualify as oddballs. And there's so much delightful strangeness going on with this piece that it makes me vibrate with joy. Ever … Continue reading Antique Irotomesode–Flashy Phoenix
Restoration In Progress–Taisho Kakeshita
How do I accurately describe what I'm thinking right now without just leaning really hard on the all caps and just smashing the keyboard until I feel satisfied? I mean, one could argue that's what the entirety of this blog is. Your name is just noises you respond to, fucking fight me. This kimono was … Continue reading Restoration In Progress–Taisho Kakeshita
Antique Tsukesage–Tsubaki & Sasa
Bright Camellia Blossoms And Long Bamboo Grasses On Delicately Woven Blue Silk. This qualifies as a restoration. This also qualifies as a recent restoration. But I did that thing that I do where I take a big healthy gulp of Big Dumb Idiot Juice and my whole brain just fucks off and I didn't really … Continue reading Antique Tsukesage–Tsubaki & Sasa
Restoration In Progress: “Great Big White Birds”
There is so much excitement and anxiety in my stomach for this piece. Getting my hands on this was some Grade A craziness. The odds of ever coming across it again were so small it it's stupid. Then it got weirder. The universe has presented to me a bizarre smoothie--an absolute puree of people's lives … Continue reading Restoration In Progress: “Great Big White Birds”
Taisho Komon–Bog Witch
Misty Silhouettes Of Bamboo Leaves And Blood Red Dragonflies On Sheer Black Silk. I'm going to take a pretty big risk here. I'm going to open this giant, gaping hole in the center of my face, and I'm going to challenge the Old Gods at their game, and possibly summon their wrath to my back … Continue reading Taisho Komon–Bog Witch
Antique Maru Obi–Summer Snow
Stylish Snow Crystal Rings With Regal Carts And Tranquil Watersides On Airy Cream Silk. Before I get started, I'd like to point out that one of my favorite parts of writing each entry is coming up with the little italicized flavor text up there. Because I always want to write it out in a somewhat … Continue reading Antique Maru Obi–Summer Snow
Random Tidbit–Shattering
Every so often, I get a question or nine hundred about what certain terms that I use mean. Usually they're questions about the Japanese words, motifs, formalities, eras...you know, the hard stuff. But most recently, I've received a few emails and messages about what I mean when I comment on the condition of a kimono, … Continue reading Random Tidbit–Shattering
Taisho Kurotomesode–Sassy Birb
A Haughty Majestic Phoenix Entangled With Blooming Flowers On Black Silk. That's right, I'm calling it a birb. It's a word I use every day. I have parrots, after all. To be honest about this one, I bought it domestically in a bundle with a maru obi that I'll detail later. I wanted the obi, … Continue reading Taisho Kurotomesode–Sassy Birb
Silk & Bones 