Vintage Japanese Hand Woven Tsumugi Silk Kimono Geometric Diamond Unused Showa

Vintage Japanese hand-woven tsumugi silk kimono, allover woven geometric diamond hishi lattice on uguisu olive-green ground, unused, Showa era

Japan; Showa era, mid-to-late 20th century

A rare find among vintage kimono: a hand-woven tsumugi (紬) silk kimono in confirmed unused condition, acquired from the original Japanese source with its provenance tag intact. Tsumugi — a category of silk textile woven from hand-spun raw silk (kibiso) or reeled silk threads — is distinguished from smooth habutae and chirimen by its characteristic irregular slub texture, which gives the fabric a matte, slightly rustic warmth entirely unlike the high-sheen silks used in formal yuzen kimono production. The ground color is uguisu-iro (鶯色, bush warbler green) — the muted, greyish olive that takes its name from the plumage of the Japanese bush warbler — a sophisticated, nature-derived color with a long history in Japanese textile tradition.

The decoration is entirely woven rather than painted or dyed: a large-scale allover hishi-tsunagi (菱繋ぎ) diamond lattice with internal triangular subdivisions is formed from cream-white thread worked through the green ground, creating a geometric pattern of considerable graphic strength that reads as both thoroughly traditional in form and strikingly modern in execution. The regularity of the pattern combined with the subtle irregularity of the tsumugi weave gives the fabric a visual texture that rewards close attention — each diamond cell slightly different from its neighbors as a natural consequence of hand-weaving. The lining is plain white silk in the upper body with a warm gold-amber hakkake (八掛) hem lining.

Tsumugi kimono occupy a distinct and cherished niche in Japanese textile culture. While not used for the most formal occasions, they are deeply valued for everyday elegance, tea ceremony contexts, and cultural events where the material quality of the textile — the warmth, the drape, the particular sheen of hand-worked silk — is understood as the primary statement. Unused tsumugi kimono of Showa-era production are increasingly scarce as Japan's hand-weaving traditions have contracted; this example, never worn and retaining its original consignment tag, represents an unusually clean opportunity to acquire a piece of living textile craft.

• Fabric: Hand-woven tsumugi (紬) silk, characteristic slub texture
• Decoration: Allover woven hishi-tsunagi (菱繋ぎ) geometric diamond lattice with triangular subdivisions in cream-white thread on uguisu olive-green ground
• Lining: Plain white silk upper body; gold-amber hakkake (八掛) hem lining
• Provenance: Original Japanese recycle consignment tag present; described as 手織り紬着物 (hand-woven tsumugi kimono), 幾何学模様 (geometric pattern), 未使用品 (unused item)
• Condition: Unused. This garment has never been worn and retains its original provenance tag. Please see photos for details and feel free to contact us with any questions prior to purchase.