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Obi with lavish use of gold and silver
threads are important kimono accessories. These long
sumptuous sashes were often given more attention than
the kimono themselves. They were frequently more
expensive. The most highly regarded were woven in
brocade and complex jacquard tsuzure weaves.
Maru obi were the most formal, and were
popular in the early 1900s. They were patterned
throughout on both sides, and because of both their
stiffness and exorbitant cost, gradually were replaced
with other styles.
Fukuro obi were slightly less formal,
and first appeared in the late 1920s. Because only one
side was brocaded they were less bulky to wear than
maru obi.
Nagoya obi were first produced in the
city of Nagoya in the 1920s. A portion of this kind of
obi is pre-folded and stitched in half. The narrow part
wraps around the waist, while the wider length forms the
bow in back.
Westerners have found multiple ways to display these
luxurious textiles. They are easy to hang over a rod for
a wall decoration. They make fabulous table runners, or
runners for credenzas.
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