Haru Gasumi (Morning Mist)
In the Edo period (1603-1868), dress was strictly controlled. This young woman has a very unusual obi (belt) that tells us a lot about her. Actually, it’s not the obi; it’s the musubi kata, or the way of tying the obi, that draws our attention. It is tied in such a way that the obi slants diagonally behind her. This tells us that she was between 15 and 20 years old, and extremely high status. Her kimono is long and elaborate. The upper part has an autumn theme with a momiji (Japanese maple) pattern, while the lower part displays autumn chrysanthemums. Her fan and her obi have spring motifs; the fan has cherry blossoms, and the obi has plum blossoms. The young woman is clutching her kimono so that she can step forward as she holds her fan in front of her. This is the first step of a dance. We can imagine that she has opened a sliding door and is gazing at the early morning mist. The kanji behind her reads "kasumi" or "moyo" (mist). We are watching a girl poised on the threshold of womanhood, stepping gracefully into an obscure future.
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