Difference between revisions of "Kosode"

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Many of the characteristics of what Westerners associate with traditional Japanese style developed after 1600. In fact the word "kimono," ("thing to wear") evolved in the late 19th century as a way to differentiate between  Japanese and Western-style clothing. The kosode or "small sleeve" refers to the small opening of the sleeve which differentiates it from the big open sleeves of the layers of Heian (794-1172 CE) court robes worn over it. The kosode was originally an undergarment which came out from under the karaginu-mo during the Kamakura period (1172-1333 CE) and transitioned to outerwear.  
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The kosode was first worn as underwear by Heian kuge, who wore them under their nightclothes. This kosode was of the tsubosode variety — that is, the sleeves are straight “tubes” rather than sculptured or shaped sleeves, or were sharply tapered and cut rather close to the arm.
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Kosode were commonly worn as uchigi (as well as underwear) by buke during the Kamakura era, at which time they became legitimate garments in their own right and became more dressy and full, with less sculpted sleeves. When the kosode became outer wear, the jûban (or hadajûban) developed as replacement underwear robes. Essentially, it was identical to the older model kosode, and served as underwear (much like a modern white T-shirt) from the Muromachi period through the Edo.
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The undergarment kosode of Heian and Kamakura was invariably white; Muromachi and Momoyama versions were patterned. In the Heian period, commoners wore a kimono-like garment which also started to be called kosode since the sleeves were small. (These kosode were only slightly different garments than the Heian nobility’s underwear.)
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An important point that must be made is that kosode (lit: “little sleeve”) weren’t just so called because the sleeve was small; they were given the name because the sleeve opening was small (especially when compared to other garments of the period, which were often termed ôsode, or “large sleeves”).
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===Links===
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*[http://www.iz2.or.jp/english/ Kyoto costume museum]
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*[http://www.wodefordhall.com/kosode.htm Kusode made simple]
  
 
[[Category:Garb]] [[Category:Amtgard Things]] [[Category:Amtgard Terms]] [[Category:How To]]
 
[[Category:Garb]] [[Category:Amtgard Things]] [[Category:Amtgard Terms]] [[Category:How To]]

Revision as of 18:15, 1 January 2009

The kosode was first worn as underwear by Heian kuge, who wore them under their nightclothes. This kosode was of the tsubosode variety — that is, the sleeves are straight “tubes” rather than sculptured or shaped sleeves, or were sharply tapered and cut rather close to the arm.

Kosode were commonly worn as uchigi (as well as underwear) by buke during the Kamakura era, at which time they became legitimate garments in their own right and became more dressy and full, with less sculpted sleeves. When the kosode became outer wear, the jûban (or hadajûban) developed as replacement underwear robes. Essentially, it was identical to the older model kosode, and served as underwear (much like a modern white T-shirt) from the Muromachi period through the Edo.

The undergarment kosode of Heian and Kamakura was invariably white; Muromachi and Momoyama versions were patterned. In the Heian period, commoners wore a kimono-like garment which also started to be called kosode since the sleeves were small. (These kosode were only slightly different garments than the Heian nobility’s underwear.)

An important point that must be made is that kosode (lit: “little sleeve”) weren’t just so called because the sleeve was small; they were given the name because the sleeve opening was small (especially when compared to other garments of the period, which were often termed ôsode, or “large sleeves”).

Links