Furisode

A furisode is distinguished by its long, flowing sleeves. The furiosodes are noted for having richly decorative designs and beautifully blended colors.

The furisode was actually considered to be a flirtatious garment for young women. They sleeves could be swung as the woman walked and this was considered to be a form of flirting. Women generally begin wearing furisodes at around nineteen years of age and, as the women get older, the sleeves get shorted, eventually ending at kosode length.

A furisode from the middle of the 18th century. This shows curtains with cherry and maple trees.

A furisode from the middle of the 18th century. This one show wisteria blossoms on a woven bamboo arch along with irises and water.

This furisode is from the later Edo period, between the last part of the 18th century and the first part of the 19th century. This garment was worn by someone of the aristocracy; probably a young woman wore this in summer. At the center of the skirt is a river and a person on horseback.

Some of the kimonos made had literary references, and this is one of them, referring to a poem which went:

Let us stop the horse

And give it water

From idenotamagawa,

Over which the yamabuki blossoms

Cast their shadows

The yamabuki flowers are Japanese roses, and the Idenotamagawa in Kyoto prefecture is noted for them on its banks.

This is another furisode from the latter part of the Edo period. The white blossoms are those of bush clover. This is another gorgeous furisode, in my opinion, especially with the sharply contrasting colors of the upper and lower portion.

This is a furisode from the mid-19th century featuring beach pines, flying cranes and islands. The term for the separation of backgrounds is somewake. Again, to me this is a really beautiful work of art.

This is another furisode, this one from the second half of the 19th century. You have a partially raised bamboo blind and cypress-slat fans, showing that this depicts the quarters of a lady of the court. I don't consider this one to be quite as attractive as the others.

Below are some more furisodes.