Unknown (Japanese, 18th/19th c.)
Priest Robe
Silk with silver and gold threads
Gift of Smith Club of Japan
If you try to look up this object in the collection database, you won’t be able to find it. However, I do not think this object should be hidden, as it is an important object in Japanese Buddhism and the fact that this robe is so finely made and preserved.
The priest robe, also called a kesa (袈裟), is worn by the principal Japanese Buddhist. It is constructed as a rectangular patchwork of striking pattern and glistening fabric and is most frequently worn by a priest on top of a full-length kimono and draped over the left shoulder. Traditionally, kesa was pieced together in a patchwork from scraps of fabric salvaged from worn-out clothing—often donated by members of the community, recalling the historical Buddha’s renunciation of wealth. Ironically, kesa can be quite opulent, because they were sometimes made from sumptuous fabrics donated by members of the ruling class or aristocracy.
Although the form of the kesa appears to be relatively simple, its fabrication, symbolism, and the technical virtuosity of its textiles make it a rich and intriguing reflection of the philosophical and aesthetic mores of Japanese religion and culture. Sewing the patches of a kesa together serves as an act of meditation as the monk or priest concentrates his attention on the creation of the garment and reverence for the Buddha’s teachings.
This kesa with repeating floral and dragon motif was donated as a gift of the Smith Club of Japan. In Alumnae Biographical Register 1875-1935, I was able to discover that club was being founded in 1911 by Clara A. Converse (class of 1883) who was the first president and also taught at a girl’s school in Yokohama. You can learn more about her from the Smith Archives here and here.
After learning more about the donor as well as kesa, there are still so many questions that didn’t get answered:
What does it mean when the founding members of the Smith Club of Japan were not Japanese?
Where was the kesa piece purchased? Was it ever worn by a monk?
Why isn’t “Priest Robe” not searchable, along with other gifts from Smith Club of Japan?
Interested in knowing how many Smith Clubs there are? Check out here.
Learn more about different kinds and meanings of Zen robes here.