Formal Japanese Kimono With Five Kamons Circa 1960 Silk

Black kimono with silk flowers and five kamons (or family crests ) in Paulownia pattern from the 1960s-70s. Detail of the paulownia pattern (Go-Shichi-No-Kiri / 五七桐) of the kamons is the seal of the Japanese government, making this kimono an important piece. The paulownia, a tree with small purple bells, whose branches are the only ones on which phoenixes could land. It is the emblem of the Prime Minister and the Japanese government. This plant also adorns 500 yen coins. The name of this crest is “Go-Shichi-No-Kiri” or “kiri”. Originally this seal was given by the emperor to shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 14th century. In the Edo era many people used it to adorn their clothes in order to obtain the same good fortune as Toyotomi Hideyoshi who became a powerful shogun despite a very modest origin. The number of kamon also defines the formality of the kimono: 5 for the most formal, 3 for the semi-formal and 1 for the casual. Present on many kimonos, the visible white threads are basting threads intended to hold the seams in place and facilitate storage.