Wedding Kimono - Silk - Flowers - Magnificent Uchikake in light pink silk and hand embroidered with crane birds and flowers - Japan - Shōwa period (1926-1989)

A stunning Japanese Uchikake, new old stock. This Uchikake is made from light pink silk and has been embroidered with a fantastic design of Japanese crane birds and various flowers. The designs are executed in different shades of silver, white, pink, creme red, yellow, blue and lilac. The thick border of the kimono is filled with cotton. The lining is made from pink silk. In Japan, the crane , "tsuru" is one of the mystical or holy creatures and symbolizes good fortune and longevity because of its fabled life span of a thousand years. This exquisite work of textile art can either be hung on your wall or worn to a party. It is in fantastic condition! Uchikake is a highly formal kimono worn only by a bride or at a stage performance. The Uchikake is often heavily brocaded and is supposed to be worn outside the actual kimono and obi, as a sort of coat. The uchikake of the bridal costume is either white or very colorful often with red as the base colour. (Source the Metropolitan Museum of Art)