This delicate and luxurious wrap is handmade from the silk of two vintage kimonos.
The darker side is the colour range of ‘Wakana – iro” which represents a leaf of fresh trees before summer. The motif of butterflies, (chou) symbolises transformation. As spirits they can ‘carry’ the recently departed souls, and they are interpreted as messengers – following them will provide answers. They appear to be hand painted using a resist outline of wax or rice paste before infilling with colour, a process called roketsuzome.
The lighter side is a rinzu silk, a pale yellowish green of a young bud of a plant. The weaves depicts wild waves (aranami), a symbol of individualism, of the pioneer spirit, of hard work and humble beginnings.
The fringe is Persian silk from the 1920s. It has been hand knotted to compliment the piece.