"Bamboo Forest" Woman's Kimono

A very vintage piece with a pattern that depicts a bamboo forest in autumn tones. We love the bold lines and soft colors. Done with the yuzen technique, requiring a lot of skill. Longer sleeves suggest that this would have been made for a young, unmarried woman.

The Banker's Collection: The Banker was a successful American executive who worked internationally – in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia – appreciating the local cultures but drawn to traditional textiles. One day, while working in Indonesia, he was surprised to find an unusual Japanese kimono displayed in a showroom of a local textile producer – it incorporated design elements drawn from Indonesia’s batik traditions but was made for the Japanese market. It was in that shop, discussing the kimono with the shop owner, that he became – in his heart – a collector of kimono. On his next trip to Japan, he visited museums, shopped at local markets, and sought out source books on kimono. And when his career took him to Japan for work, kimono was the vehicle he used as his entry into studying Japanese culture. The Banker – who later became a teacher in Japan – purchased his collection over many years of work and travel, as his appreciation for Japanese textiles deepened along with his admiration of Japanese culture. He is happy to work with Kyoto Kimono to offer his collection to a clientele who can appreciate the value of each piece as much as he does.