Victoria and Albert Museum
The world’s greatest museum of art and design
Opening times
10.00 to 17.45 daily
10.00 to 22.00 Fridays
Motifs and Symbols: Animals
Kimono with butterfly design, 1830 - 1880. Museum no. T.269-1960
Kimono with butterfly design, 1830 - 1880. Museum no. T.269-1960
Kimono
Japan
1830 - 1880
Silk and silk embroidery
Museum no. T.269-1960
Outer kimono (uchikake) with long swinging sleeves (furisode) of white figured silk (rinzu) and embroidery of flowers, butterflies and fences in coloured silks. The butterfly is the symbol of joy and longevity, and also embodies the souls of both the living and the dead.
