"Hugs and Kisses" Oshima Kimono

This is a woman's vintage casual kimono.

The dark brown background was created with a traditional mud-dye technique called oshima or dorozome. Oshima refers to the iron-rich mud used to dye the threads brown and is said to strengthen the fibers so the kimono will last a long time. This technique, unfortunately, is now done only on a few islands in the southern part of Japan.

The kimono's patterning is an ikat woven design of X's and O's in a grid. Ikat (also called kasuri) is a centuries-old method of weaving where the threads are dyed before being woven, so that the design appears on the loom. Ikat is a very labor-intensive textile art form, still very much revered in Japan and elsewhere. See the amazing process in the video below.

The underarm seam has been reinforced on both sides, see photo.