English

This is a reproduction of one of the ancient fabrics preserved in the Shoso-in Repository, Nara, a rare example of warp-patterned brocade. The original fabric is known to have been employed in banners used for the first anniversary of Emperor Shomu’s death in 757 (the original pieces are now owned by the National Museums in Tokyo and Kyoto).

It has a very elaborate and sophisticated design of a repetitive pattern with each unit consisting of two parts. One part has a Chinese-style flower in the center, above which are a pair of beasts and, further up, a pair of water birds floating on a wave. The other part consists of a smaller flower and some fruit, seemingly a pomegranate. The design was presumably derived from a typical Mesopotamian motif called “A pair of beasts under the Tree of Life.” This makes us think that, in fact, very little has changed in the history of design. As expressed in the phrase “permanence and impermanence,” changes are made at the design level only, not to the patterns themselves.

The whole composition consists of concentric circles in a hexagonal shape, but it cannot be called merely abstract. This design goes far beyond the rigid modern definitions of abstract or representational. Also, because all of the white flowing lines are edged with ancient purple dyes, and the delineating lines are somewhat soft, this excellent example of classic fabric conveys an elegant Japanese atmosphere.