Vintage Kimono: Kasuri Ikat

An unexpectedly modern everyday cotton kimono woven in kasuri (絣) ikat, featuring a repeating cross motif in soft indigo-grey, madder red, and pale rose. The pattern is created by resist-dyeing the threads prior to weaving, producing the characteristic softness and slight misalignment at the edges of each form, an intentional quality of kasuri textiles.

The interior is lined with solid-dyed cotton panels in warm red and fuchsia tones. The contrast between the restrained exterior and the expressive interior reflects a vernacular design logic shaped by use, repetition, and care.

Lightweight, breathable, and durable, this kimono would have been worn for daily domestic life rather than formal occasions. A practical garment whose quiet geometry and internal color blocking feel unexpectedly modern.

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PROVENANCE

These kimonos come from the private collection of Christine Ong, a Peranakan Singaporean singer and entrepreneur now associated with the preeminent Asian publisher Tuttle. Ong is an esteemed collector of Asian cultural artifacts, including Japanese textiles, which she sources from defunct kimono collectors and tailors in Japan.