Catalog Exhibition: Uchikake with Bamboo and Mist
An uchikake is an elaborately decorated article of clothing worn by the chonin, a specific class generally made up of artisans and merchants, during the Edo period. (The kosode and other textiles during the Edo period will be discussed further in the attached essay) During the Edo period, the lavish decoration of the uchikake was regarded as frivolous and looked down upon within public settings; therefore, the uchikake was generally worn underneath a kosode when in public. However, the uchikake were often worn in private residences or teahouses where the owner of the uchikake was amongst members of the same social class.
One particular uchikake (figure.1) provides a stunning example of the lavish decoration that was very popular among chonin. This uchikake is made of white figured silk satin cloth and is painted with ink and a gold leaf. The decorative design depicts bamboo hidden within a golden mist. The uchikake design allows the viewer to encounter an experience of viewing bamboo in a mystifying atmosphere. It provides a feeling that one is looking at bamboo on an early morning through the mist. The design has been attributed to a literati artist, Gion Nankai. This attribution is a result of a poem by Rai Sanyo where he praises the uchikake and Gion Nakai for creating such a stunning work of art. Gion Nankai was not an unknown artist at this time. He was one of the founders of Literati painting, which eventually evolved into the Nanga School style. This particular painting of bamboo and mist on the uchikake is one of Nankai’s best works.
Figure 1
Uchikake with Bamboo and Mist, early 18th Century,
Attributed to Gion Nankai (1677-1751)