Bellflower ~Devotion~

One-of-a-kind Japanese textile art made from antique kimono fabrics. Sustainable artwork for modern interiors, collectors, boutique hotels, and lovers of Japanese aesthetics.

Size

Diameter 50cm x 4cm

Materials

antique silk, acrylic on washi paper, pine wood

Edition 

One-of-a-kind

Story behind the work

This artwork is inspired by the composition of the Japanese flag - a red circle emerging from a white field - reinterpreted through antique kimono textiles and traditional Japanese embroidery.

The white background is made from handmade washi paper, creating a quiet and organic surface that softly absorbs light. Across this surface, gold acrylic outlines trace the shape and placement of kikyo 桔梗 (bellflowers) directly from an antique kimono pattern. Their arrangement remains faithful to the original textile composition, preserving the rhythm and spatial sensibility of the garment.

At the center of the work, fragments of authentic kikyo embroidery taken from the kimono are densely gathered into a circular form. The embroidery features traditional Japanese silk embroidery techniques including kinkoma, where gold thread is carefully couched onto the fabric surface. The concentrated red forms create a strong visual presence while retaining the delicacy of hand embroidery.

The contrast between the empty outlined flowers and the vivid embroidered center reflects the relationship between memory and absence, preservation and transformation. While parts of the original textile disappear through time, fragments continue carrying cultural memory into new forms.

Through minimal composition and material contrast, the work explores how traditional Japanese aesthetics can continue evolving within contemporary space.

Period / Story

Antique silk kimono textile, early 20th century.

The embroidered kikyo motifs are taken from a festive kimono - furisode, featuring traditional Japanese silk embroidery techniques. 

Meaning of colors and patterns

The composition references the visual structure of the Japanese flag: a red circular form placed within an open white field. Here, this symbolism is transformed into a meditation on cultural memory and continuity.

The kikyo (bellflower) flower carries associations with devotion, sincerity, and quiet resilience. Repeated across the surface, the outlined flowers resemble traces or echoes, while the concentrated embroidered center suggests accumulated memory and emotional weight.

Gold lines introduce a subtle luminosity across the washi surface. Their delicate irregularity holds a wabi-sabi spirit of hand-drawn technique while connecting the work to traditional Japanese decorative aesthetics.

The contrast between white, red, and gold creates a restrained yet powerful visual language rooted in Japanese minimalism and symbolic balance.

Characteristics of the fabric

The embroidered elements are taken from an antique silk kimono featuring traditional Japanese embroidery techniques including kinkoma embroidery. In this method, gold thread is laid across the fabric surface and secured with extremely fine stitches, creating refined lines and subtle dimensionality.

The aged silk carries slight variations in texture and softness developed over a century of preservation. These characteristics give the material a sense of time and authenticity impossible to reproduce in contemporary textiles.

The washi paper background introduces an additional tactile dimension, balancing fragility with structural calm.

About the frame

The artwork is presented within a circular wooden frame that reinforces the central red composition while echoing themes of unity, continuity, and cyclical time.

The natural wood introduces warmth and softness, allowing the materials themselves -  silk, gold thread, embroidery, and washi - to remain central. The circular structure also strengthens the visual dialogue with the Japanese flag motif embedded within the composition.

Decoration Advice

The circular composition makes this artwork an elegant focal point for a variety of interiors. It can be displayed individually as a statement piece or combined with other textile artworks to create a curated wall composition.

The calm yet striking contrast of indigo and gold makes it especially suitable for modern interiors, hospitality spaces, cultural environments, meditation rooms, or refined residential settings where subtle symbolism and craftsmanship are appreciated.

Precaution

All artworks are made from authentic antique and vintage kimono textiles. Due to their historical nature, minor signs of age or previous use may be present. These traces are part of the textile’s story and authenticity.

Any noticeable marks are documented in the product images when applicable.