Antique Japanese Silk Maru Obi Taisho Phoenix Chrysanthemum Gosho 13'L

Antique Japanese Maru Obi (丸帯) — Taisho Roman Gosho-Doki Weave with Hōō Phoenix & Chrysanthemum

Japan, Taisho period (1912–1926)
156″L × 13″W (396 × 33 cm), standard obi size

This maru obi is patterned edge to edge on both faces, in keeping with the fully woven construction its source tag identifies. The ivory ground is filled corner to corner with a saturated jewel-tone palette — deep purple, cobalt blue, moss green, ochre, and burnt orange — a much bolder, more painterly color sense than the muted tonal weaves typical of earlier Meiji-era obi.

A hōō (mythical phoenix) moves in profile through the design, its layered plumage rendered in green, mauve, and ochre, set among oversized chrysanthemum blossoms, pine sprays, and small clusters of bellflower. This is a gosho-doki, or "courtly pattern," composition — a style drawing on the romanticized, oversized floral-and-bird imagery historically associated with Heian and Edo court dress.

This piece specifically is a 大正ロマン (Taisho Roman) style, the term for the romantic, cosmopolitan visual culture of the Taisho era, when classical gosho-doki court motifs were reworked in brighter, more modern palettes influenced by the art movements of the day. This obi reads as a textile expression of that moment — traditional iconography (phoenix, chrysanthemum, pine) rendered in a distinctly 1910s–20s color sensibility.

Maru obi of this density, correctly period-attributed, and corroborated by original Japanese sourcing documentation are increasingly scarce in the market; the fully patterned construction across the entire length represents substantial loom time by Nishijin-caliber production standards.

Form: Maru obi (fully patterned formal obi, both faces)
Construction/Decoration: Silk, orīdashi (woven-in pattern) technique; gosho-doki composition of hōō phoenix, chrysanthemum, pine, and bellflower in a saturated jewel-tone palette on ivory ground
Mark: Accompanying source tag (not part of the textile) reads in Japanese "Taisho Roman — Phoenix and Chrysanthemum, Gosho-doki pattern, woven maru obi," confirming period, motif, and obi type
Period: Taisho period, Japan (1912–1926)
Dimensions: 156″L × 13″W (396 × 33 cm), standard obi size
Weight: ~3lbs
Condition: Expected age-related wear for a vintage silk textile — light soiling, occasional snagged or pulled threads, minor metallic-thread tarnish, and storage fold lines — with no notable tears, holes, or repairs unless otherwise noted.