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Source Description
The kesa is a Buddhist monk’s vestment worn folded and draped over one shoulder, and fastened over the chest. In keeping with the austere conditions of monastic life, kesa were traditionally fashioned from remainders of donated garments sewn together into a series of columns. The wider, central column symbolizes the Buddha. The squares with golden roundels in each corner represent the deities who guard the four directions, while the two at the top on either side of the central column symbolize attendant bodhisattvas, or the Nio, guardians who protect the Buddhist Law. This kesa is sewn from a textile with a butterfly and "eight bridges" (yatsuhashi) pattern.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95622
label
Buddhist Surplice (Kesa)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95622
contentType
object
title
Buddhist Surplice (Kesa)
description
The kesa is a Buddhist monk’s vestment worn folded and draped over one shoulder, and fastened over the chest. In keeping with the austere conditions of monastic life, kesa were traditionally fashioned from remainders of donated garments sewn together into a series of columns. The wider, central column symbolizes the Buddha. The squares with golden roundels in each corner represent the deities who guard the four directions, while the two at the top on either side of the central column symbolize attendant bodhisattvas, or the Nio, guardians who protect the Buddhist Law. This kesa is sewn from a textile with a butterfly and "eight bridges" (yatsuhashi) pattern.
date
early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79477484
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Average: 116.9 x 193 cm (46 x 76 in.)
cul
Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)
accession
1916.1338
Source extras
tec
silk with supplementary weft, brocaded; metal thread
tombstone
Buddhist Surplice (Kesa), early 1900s. Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912). Silk with supplementary weft, brocaded; metal thread; average: 116.9 x 193 cm (46 x 76 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade, 1916.1338
collection
Textiles
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:08:07.662000
sourceId
95622
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
silk with supplementary weft, brocaded; metal thread
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
8cd9f515b6ab72be