Yūzen dyed hōmongi (semi-formal kimono for women)

This kimono was created using Itō Jakuchū’s “Bunch of Grapes” as its design motif. Kata yūzen (stencil technique) was applied for the making of this kimono. In kata yūzen, patterns or designs are repeated over the entire fabric by using a stencil sheet for dyeing. The overall design was carefully thought out to ensure a good balance between the grapes and the white background when the kimono is displayed and that the grapes are clearly seen when the kimono is worn. The grapes and the leaves are printed in graded ink over the silver grey fabric.