I’ve been itching to do something with this incredible black ship obi I got from Lyuba since it arrived, but somehow other things just kept getting in the way. Until today! I started with an iromuji that’s always kind of reminded me of tropical waters. It leans a little too far onto the mint green side, but it’s still in that watery family, and the thick textured rinzu totally looks like little rippling waves. It’s also very neutral, and since I wanted this incredible obi to be the focus, so that worked out quite well.
I went with soft accessories in the same colour family as the ship to help echo it without being overpowering, and an obijime that matches the iromuji to (literally) tie it all together. The result is a coordination that feels cohesive and thoughtful while still keeping nearly the entire focus on the beautiful hand-painted detail on the obi, which is exactly what I was aiming for.
Items used in this coordination
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- Mint Green
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- Pente Ships
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- Reversible embroidery (side a)
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- Brown Bokashi Rinzu
The obiage is quite new and I haven’t had time to add it to the catalogue yet, which is why it’s not in the item list above. My next Big Project is to finish photographing the stragglers and get all the obijime done. Hopefully over my next long weekend!
Bebe Taian
CHOKO Blog
Gion Kobu
I would never have thought to use that obi with that color kimono and what you did here is beautiful. The obi is one of the most unusual I have seen and I love it. I’m so glad your Facebook page came across my feed. It’s one of the few times I’ve appreciated the Internet stalking me. What is the name of the gold item you have showing just a but above the obi? It sets up the look so well and I’d not have thought of it. To top it all off this artistic piece looks like it was made just to be displayed in front of that sideboard display. You make me want to see the rest of your home. Art saturates everything about you.
Thank you! Your words are always so kind ❤️The bit above the obi is called the obiage, and it’s a silk scarf usually used to hide a structural cushion in the obi knot. This one is actually two shades of brown, but the pale brown has a sheen to it so it reads as gold in some lights 🙂
As for my house – the sideboard was my grandmother’s, as was the art hanging above it. I inherited her sense of aesthetics, I think, along with a lot of her possessions. The rest of the house is not nearly as put-together, I promise!