The Edo (=Rivergate) era (1603-1868) was the time of "Kosode" (=short sleeves) Kimono, a kimono with short sleeves .

The original form of the "kosode" kimono already existed in the Nara era (710-794).

It was an underwear of upstream people to the last, and was a popular working wear of ordinary people .

After the Sengoku period, the Age of Civil Wars (1467-1568), and the status of "kosode" kimono was improved as the ordinary people came to develop their power.

The "kosode" kimono became the dress of people's standard in the Edo era.

The figure in the photo wears the "kosode" ,which was restored on the basis of the article left from the Kanbun years in the first half of the Edo era.

The "kosode" kimono is printed with large patterns of the "Hitta-kanoko-shibori" variegation, which can be said that its time was just before the fashion break of the Yuzen-zome dyeing, a method invented by Miyazaki Yuzen. (The Yuzen-dyed kimono are Dyed goods peculiar to Japan which started dyeing the pattern of the pictures style splendidly using many colors.)

The pattern of "Yukimochi-zasa (=Bamboo grass with snow)" and "sakura (=The flower of a cherry tree)" is drawn on the kimono in large scale.

The size of "kosode" kimono became the cutting on the basis of the cloth of "Kujira 1 shaku" (=37.879cm) width, and it became the form which was easy to wear.

The width of "obi" belt also became a little large.

The hair style is "Shimada-mage" of "sekirei-tsuto (=wagtail hair)" hair type which stretched thinly. The "Shimada-mage" is well known as one of the hair type of a Japanese coiffure by today.