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Source Description
<em>Kesa </em>are Buddhist monastic robes that originated in India. The robes are named after the brown or saffron dye originally used in their production. The primary motif on this seven-paneled kesa is a long-tailed bird with a flower in its mouth. This motif was imported from Persia (present-day Iran) through China during the Nara period (710–794)and is interpreted as a positive symbol. The bird delivers happiness in its mouth.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95625
label
Buddhist Vestment (Kesa)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95625
contentType
object
title
Buddhist Vestment (Kesa)
description
<em>Kesa </em>are Buddhist monastic robes that originated in India. The robes are named after the brown or saffron dye originally used in their production. The primary motif on this seven-paneled kesa is a long-tailed bird with a flower in its mouth. This motif was imported from Persia (present-day Iran) through China during the Nara period (710–794)and is interpreted as a positive symbol. The bird delivers happiness in its mouth.
date
early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79477492
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 119.4 x 205.7 cm (47 x 81 in.)
cul
Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)
accession
1916.134
Source extras
tec
silk with supplementary weft, brocaded; metal thread
tombstone
Buddhist Vestment (Kesa) (花喰鳥文袈裟), early 1900s. Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912). Silk with supplementary weft, brocaded; metal thread; overall: 119.4 x 205.7 cm (47 x 81 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade, 1916.1340
titleInOriginalLanguage
花喰鳥文袈裟
collection
Textiles
didYouKnow
This <em>kesa</em> depicts bird cages, but all the birds portrayed fly free.
citations
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art, and Sŏn Sŭng-hye. <em>The Lure of Painted Poetry: Japanese and Korean Art</em>. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2011.
page_number
Mentioned: P. 71; reproduced: P. 74, no. 71
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:08:08.523000
sourceId
95625
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
7719c69620c6cd15