Wedding Kimono with the Three Friends of Winter, anonymous, 1910 - 1920
The intricate gold thread and gold leaf background of this lined wedding kimono lend it even greater allure. Bamboo, pine, and plum are particularly beloved motifs in Japanese applied art. Together they symbolize ‘the three friends of winter’. Pine trees and bamboo stay green in the winter, while plum trees with their early blossoms are a harbinger of spring.