Textile with Autumn Grasses

Art Historical Context

This exquisite *Textile with Autumn Grasses* is a small yet captivating fragment from Japan's Edo period (16151868), a time of relative peace and cultural flourishing under the Tokugawa shogunate. Woven in silk twill and brocaded with additional silk threads, it measures just 3 7/16 x 3 1/8 inches, likely a remnant from a larger garment like a kimono or accessory. The intricate design features swaying autumn grasses, evoking the seasonal beauty of pampas-like stalks and leaves, a motif beloved in Japanese art for its poetic simplicity. The brocading technique—where supplementary wefts are wov...