Vintage Japanese Silk Rinzu Kimono Hishi Diamond Floral Panels Showa Furisode

Vintage Japanese silk rinzu damask kimono, allover hishi diamond panel composition with polychrome yuzen botan peony, kiku, rose and iris on vermillion ground, Showa era

Japan; Showa era, mid-20th century, c. 1950s–1970s

A visually commanding vintage Japanese silk kimono in vibrant vermillion-orange (緋色, hi-iro), the ground woven in rinzu (綸子) silk damask with an allover cloud-scroll self-pattern that gives the fabric depth and movement even before the decoration begins. The ornamental field is conceived as a zenmen (全面) allover composition covering the entire garment — collar, body, and full sleeve length — in a continuous hishi-tsunagi (菱繋ぎ) diamond lattice. Each lozenge panel is framed by bold black borders with gold corner accents, creating a strong graphic armature that organizes the profusion of color within.

The panels alternate between two types of content. Floral panels present large-scale polychrome blossoms painted or dyed in the yuzen tradition with gold metallic accents: botan (牡丹, peony) in white, red, and orange; kiku (菊, chrysanthemum) in orange and yellow with gold surihaku detail; bara (薔薇, rose) in white with gold leaf outlines; kakitsubata (杜若, iris) in deep magenta-pink with green; and scattered carnations and camellia in the same vivid palette. Geometric panels intersperse the florals with woven ground patterns — kikko (亀甲, tortoiseshell hexagon) in teal and orange, shippo (七宝, interlocking circles), hishi-moyō (菱模様, diamond lattice), and scattered gold confetti squares — set on grounds of orange, crimson, purple, and ivory. The effect across the whole garment is dense, jewel-like, and frankly celebratory: a textile conceived to make an emphatic statement at a formal occasion. The lining is plain white silk throughout.

The hishi (diamond lozenge) is among the oldest and most auspicious geometric forms in Japanese textile tradition, its continuous lattice structure expressing the ideal of unbroken good fortune. In Showa-era formal kimono, the hishi-tsunagi composition was particularly favored for celebratory garments — furisode for young women's coming-of-age ceremonies, formal hōmongi for wedding guests — where visual richness was understood as appropriate to the occasion. The combination of yuzen floral painting with woven geometric alternation within a single garment represents a high degree of technical investment, with multiple craftsmen contributing to the finished piece.

• Fabric: Silk rinzu (綸子) damask, cloud-scroll self-pattern ground
• Decoration: Allover hishi-tsunagi diamond panel composition; alternating polychrome yuzen floral panels (botan, kiku, bara, kakitsubata) with gold accents, and woven geometric ground panels (kikko, shippo, hishi-moyō) in orange, teal, crimson, purple, and gold; black and gold panel borders
• Lining: Plain white silk
• Period: Showa era, mid-20th century, c. 1950s–1970s
• Dimensions:
• Condition: Please see photos for details. This is a vintage silk garment and may exhibit minor age-related characteristics such as slight discoloration, faint spotting, or occasional pulled threads consistent with its age and prior wear. Please see photos for details and feel free to contact us with any questions prior to purchase.