THE FESTIVAL

Matsuri is Japanese for “Festival”. This design dates back to the 8th century and would have been created for royalty. The hand painted and dyed design has hand-applied gold gilded elements throughout and depicts the divine palanquins (mikoshi) carried in many Japanese festivals.

The design is authenticated from the Shōsō-in, Japan’s oldest museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Shōsō-in conserves artifacts connected to Emperor Shōmu (701–756) and Empress Kōmyō (701–760), as well as arts and crafts of the Tempyō period of Japanese history.