Marubeni was founded in 1858. In keeping with its beginnings as a wholesaler of textiles, the company has, over the course of its history, collected and maintained a collection of ancient Japanese textiles to research their traditional production techniques and designs. One unique item in this collection is Furisode (Garment with long hanging sleeves) with Design of Latticework, Chrysanthemums, Paste-resist (Yuzen) and Embroidery on Parti-colored Silk Crepe (Chirimen), which was designated as an Important Cultural Property in 2020. This furisode was a cherished possession of a young woman who died around 1730 at the age of 19, whose parents had the garment dedicated to her memory at a local temple. Although it was in excellent condition considering its age, it had deteriorated over time. For this reason, Marubeni, with the cooperation of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, initiated repair and conservation work on the garment with the help of Shokakudo, a company which has undertaken specialized repair work on countless cultural properties, including national treasures and heirlooms. During this process, the seams of the garment were disentwined and the margins in the seams opened to reveal the original colors of the fabric.
Fresh and vibrant pale blue-green. While the garment‘s colors had lost their luster following the long passage of time, they were strikingly vivid when the furisode was created centuries ago. Indeed, the sight of these gorgeous colors evokes how strongly the parents of the young woman must have desired to gift their beloved daughter with a beautiful piece of clothing. As the meticulous repair and conservation work continues, we may even come across further new discoveries as the garment reveals the secrets it has acquired on its epic journey through time.