Obi

Subject Matter:

This is a Nagoya obi in otaiko gara.

Nagoya obi were first produced at the end of the Taisho era, and are shorter than the more formal fukuro and maru obi. A portion of Nagoya obi fabric is folded and stitched in half to make tying easier.

Gara refers to the orientation, arrangement, and surface area of the patterns and pertains to a specific trend and obi tying style.

The patterning in the Otaiko gara type is minimal. A few concentrated spots of patterned motif lie on the obi while the rest is left blank. This style was invented during the Edo period (1615-1868) by the female entertainers in Fukugawa, an entertainment district in present-day Tokyo.

Physical Description:

Thin dark blue fukuro (single-sided) Obi with interwoven white, beige, orange, bronze, and light blue stylized floral motifs arranged within various circles and wreath-like shapes.

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