Wedding robe (uchikake) with design of tree peonies

Toward the end of the 16th century, the fashionable wives of Japan's military elite began to wear unbelted robes, known as uchikake, over their regular robes during the autumn and winter months. As the outermost garment, uchikake were lavishly decorated and the hem was padded, thus adding the weight necessary to keep it from slipping off the shoulders. In the Edo period, uchikake were worn by wealthy women of all classes, and they became a standard part of the wedding ensemble. This example features an overall pattern of blossoming tree peonies, rendered in stencil resist, embroidery, and gold couching.