Minneapolis Institute of Art

Buddhist priest's robe (kesa)

Japan

Date

18th century

Medium

Silk, silver thread

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Kesa are outer garments worn by Buddhist priests. Traditionally, they were pieced together from scraps of fabric rescued from old clothing donated by members of the community, an act symbolic of the historical Buddha’s rejection of wealth. Sewing the scraps together serves as an act of meditation as a monk concentrates his attention on the creation of the garment and reverence for the Buddha’s teachings. Kesa, however, can also be quite luxurious, as with the examples here. This is because they were sometimes made from rich fabrics donated by wealthy patrons. The majority of this kesa is made of a green silk brocade with birds and flowering trees in a variety of colored and metallic threads. Additional orange patches show peonies and butterflies depicted in gold and silver thread. Japan, Asia

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