Obi: The Sash That Completes the Kimono
The obi is the sash tied around a kimono, and it is often the most precious part of an outfit. A fine obi can cost more than the kimono it accompanies, and the finest are woven with silk and metallic threads into works of textile art. Obi are collected both to wear and to display.
Women's obi, from formal to casual
- Maru obi. The most formal and the heaviest: a wide cloth folded in half and patterned on both sides. Popular in the Edo and Meiji eras, it is now used mainly for brides and stage costume.
- Fukuro obi. Patterned on one face, lighter and easier to tie. Today's standard formal obi, worn with furisode, tomesode and hōmongi.
- Nagoya obi. A semi-formal obi, folded narrower along part of its length for easy tying. It developed in the early twentieth century and is the most commonly worn obi today.
- Hanhaba obi. Half width, casual, worn with yukata and everyday kimono.
Men's obi
Men wear the stiff, narrow kaku obi, tied low on the hips, or the soft heko obi for relaxed wear. Children also wear soft sashes.
Great weaving traditions
- Nishijin. The weaving district of Kyoto, famous for complex brocades in silk and gold thread.
- Hakata. From Fukuoka, a firm, ribbed silk with distinctive stripes and motifs, especially loved for men's and Nagoya obi.
- Tsuzure. Tapestry weave in which the weaver uses notched fingernails to pack the weft, producing pictures of remarkable detail. A single obi can take months.
Lengths and use
A fukuro obi is usually around four metres long, a Nagoya obi a little shorter. Collectors who do not wear kimono often use obi as table runners, frame sections as textile art or hang them as wall pieces. Cutting a fine antique obi is irreversible, so consider display methods that keep it whole.
Condition
- Metallic threads can tarnish or break. Check the most decorated areas closely.
- Look for pulled threads, especially on brocades with long floats.
- Check the tying area for wear and creasing.
- Store obi rolled or loosely folded in acid-free paper, away from light and damp.