白縮緬地橘文字模様小袖
Unknown Artist
An auspicious mandarin orange tree (tachibana) bearing fruit and flowers rises from the back hem of this narrow-sleeved robe (kosode). The sleeves and upper body of the robe are embellished with characters richly embroidered in green and purple silk and couched gold thread (laid across the ground fabric and stitched to the surface). The three characters (left to right) read manzai-raku, or “enjoying comfort for ten thousand years,” which also alludes to a type of ancient court music (gagaku) and dance presented exclusively at the court to celebrate the New Year. At the same time, the phrase calls to mind a song from the auspicious Noh play Takasago, which proclaims that performing Manzai-raku brings long life.
Credit: Purchase, Parnassus Foundation/Jane and Raphael Bernstein Gift, 2002