Japanese Fukuro Obi with Butterfly Motif

Here, a tangerine ground with faint pale lotus-like leaves drifting across it like a rumour.

This silk fukuro obi with a butterfly motif is from Japan, and is ca. 1940. The butterfly is a familiar motif in Japanese textile design, where it is often taken to stand for transformation and the changing seasons. At a glance, a folded textile in saturated orange, patterned with large round leaves and small blossoms in a soft pale shimmer. Fine thin lines suggest stems and veins. The pattern fades toward the edges, and the folded layers show a crisp, even finish. It is 12 inches wide and 158 long.

Loud color, whispered pattern, and a very sure sense of balance.