I repurposed fabric from a rare tomesode kimono featuring vignettes from The Tale of Genji, Japan's most famous book, which is often considered one of the world's first novels. The author Lady Murasaki is depicted ensconced in voluminous, layered robes worn in the style of a Heian-era noblewoman. Caligraphy script stencilled with dye (not written with ink) quote some of the book's famous passages. These pictoral motifs originally skirted the bottom hem of the kimono, leaving the upper half completely solid – but in dark green, not the customary black. I consider this kimono a masterpiece of Japanese textile art, and I have preserved the artist's signature on an interior pocket. The lining is comprised of stencilled komon silks from two different kimonos I deconstructed. One combines a geometric pattern with tiny flowers, and the other combines stripes with children's toys. The dress form has a size 40 chest, and the sizing is equivalent to a medium-large.
