For your consideration: An exceedingly rare, antique Maru obi circa 1920-1930's.
A Maru obi is the finest and most expensive obi. A Maru obi has a continuous design on the entire obi, front and back, unlike the fukuro obi that has a design on 60% of it. It is a tapestry made of the finest silk brocade ever produced. A Maru obi took more than a year to make, at approximately a centimeter or two per day. Please see the photo of an artist weaving an obi. Only royalty or extremely wealthy families could afford to commission a Maru obi. This Maru cost ten thousand dollars or more to make 100 years ago. Fine obis were so valuable that they were part of a family's inheritance. Obis are no longer designed or woven by hand. Vintage and antique obis are, therefore, priceless pieces of history and some of the finest silk brocade ever produced.
It features what is known as a Dramatic Phoenix. This Phoenix has the head of a rooster and the tail of a peacock. The phoenix is a very auspicious sign of peace, purity, and abundant good luck. It is an exceedingly good omen. Around the phoenix is a gold drum with multicolored peonies, clouds, gold pine trees, chrysanthemums, and other traditional symbols. This Maru was commissioned by a wealthy family to reflect the woman for whom it was made. It is woven with real gold and fine silk threads. Purple, blue, and red were colors reserved only for royalty or the aristocracy. This Maru reflects a woman who was very wealthy and deeply steeped in Japanese culture. It is a beautiful piece.
It's a gorgeous obi heavily woven in real gold threads and other rare colors. The obi is in outstanding condition given its age, with only a few easy to miss marks.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Width-12"
Length-158"
Condition-Excellent
If you have any questions please feel free to message me. I keep all of my Obi in Tatoshi cases to preserve them. The price includes shipping and full insurance coverage for safety and customer assurance. Please note that these are Vintage/Antique items, not new. I have looked over them carefully, however they may have imperfections that I missed ( fraying, age spots, etc). Thank you for understanding.