silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, cream base, green pines, gold clouds and cranes, on sofa

Flying Cranes Silk Throw Blanket -Vintage Wedding Kimono Quilt Bedspread

£1,150.00
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silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, cream base, green pines, gold clouds and cranes, on sofa
  • silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, cream base, green pines, gold clouds and cranes, on sofa
  • close up of vintage kimono silk throw with gold clouds and white flying cranes
  • Cream silk throw made from vintage kimono silk with corner turned up to show orange silk lining, on sofa
  • silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, cream, green and gold clouds, pines and cranes, on sofa, corner turned up to show orange reverse
  • close up of silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, green pines on white with flying cranes edged in gold couchwork
  • close up of silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, crane head over green embroidered pine needles, on woven white silk base.
  • close up of silk throw made from vintage kimono silk in cream, showing collar detail, gold clouds pattern and flying crane, on sofa.
  • cream and gold silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, flying cranes over gold clouds pattern, close up
  • silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, detail of white embroidered crane with gold couchwork and green pines
  • Close up of silk throw made from vintage uchikake kimono, crane tail embroidered in white and black with raised gold couchwork edges.
  • Cream silk throw made from vintage uchikake kimono silk, two flying cranes in white over green pine needles embroidery, close up
  • silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, cream base, green pines, gold clouds and cranes, on sofa
  • close up of vintage kimono silk throw with gold clouds and white flying cranes
  • Cream silk throw made from vintage kimono silk with corner turned up to show orange silk lining, on sofa
  • silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, cream, green and gold clouds, pines and cranes, on sofa, corner turned up to show orange reverse
  • close up of silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, green pines on white with flying cranes edged in gold couchwork
  • close up of silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, crane head over green embroidered pine needles, on woven white silk base.
  • close up of silk throw made from vintage kimono silk in cream, showing collar detail, gold clouds pattern and flying crane, on sofa.
  • cream and gold silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, flying cranes over gold clouds pattern, close up
  • silk throw made from vintage kimono silk, detail of white embroidered crane with gold couchwork and green pines
  • Close up of silk throw made from vintage uchikake kimono, crane tail embroidered in white and black with raised gold couchwork edges.
  • Cream silk throw made from vintage uchikake kimono silk, two flying cranes in white over green pine needles embroidery, close up
Flying Cranes Silk Throw Blanket -Vintage Wedding Kimono Quilt Bedspread

Flying Cranes Silk Throw Blanket -Vintage Wedding Kimono Quilt Bedspread

  • Vintage silk wedding kimono, mid-Shōwa period (c. 1970s)
  • Cranes, pine and hand-painted gold clouds in silk, embroidery and couchwork
  • Reverse in luminous orange-red — the original silk lining
£1,150.00

Shipping calculated at checkout

Across a soft cream ground, cranes sweep low over pine branches beneath hand-painted golden clouds. Made from a vintage Japanese wedding kimono, this silk throw brings together woven pattern, embroidery and painted detail — something of sky and treetops, captured in silk.

Cut from a mid-Showa period uchikake - a formal Japanese wedding kimono - the silk is woven with a subtle sayagata pattern, a traditional interlocking motif associated with longevity and continuity.

Over this, pine branches (matsu) are embroidered in green silk, their needles finely worked across the surface. Cranes move between them in white silk thread, with delicately painted grey tails — an unusual detail that adds softness and depth.

Raised gold couchwork brings a sculptural quality to the design, sitting alongside hand-painted clouds that drift across the cloth.

The reverse retains the original lining in luminous orange-red silk, adding warmth and contrast.
Details
  • Approx. 180 × 145–165 cm / 71 × 57–65 inches
  • Vintage Japanese silk, mid-Shōwa period (c. 1970s)
  • Handcrafted from an original wedding kimono (uchikake)
  • Silk brocade with embroidery, couchwork and hand-painted details
  • Lined in metallic orange-red vintage Japanese silk (original lining)
  • Original collar retained as a trace of its history
  • One of a kind
Returns

If your piece isn’t right, you’re welcome to return it within 30 days of delivery for a refund.

To be eligible, returns should be:

• unused and in original condition

• in original packaging
 where possible
• accompanied by proof of purchase

• sent using a tracked service

To arrange a return, please contact us via our Contact Form with your order number.

For change-of-mind returns, the item cost and standard outbound shipping will be refunded. Return postage is the customer’s responsibility.

If your item arrives faulty or incorrect, all delivery costs will be refunded.

As returns remain your responsibility until received, we recommend using a fully insured tracked service.
Shipping

All pieces are carefully packaged and dispatched from our London studio (UK).

• Dispatch time: 1–2 working days

• UK delivery: 2–3 working days

• Europe: typically 5–10 working days

• Rest of world: typically 7–14 working days

Shipping rates are calculated at checkout.

US orders include duties and taxes.
Other international customers may be responsible for local customs charges.
Ethical Production

Each piece is handmade in our UK studio as part of a considered approach to making, using carefully sourced vintage Japanese silks.

• Genuine vintage kimono silks and obi belts dating from the 1930s onwards

• Sourced in Japan for their craftsmanship, character, and history

• Repurposed and reimagined for contemporary interiors

• Limited in number — once gone, it cannot be repeated

Each piece begins a new chapter for a textile that has already lived one life.

Packaging is fully recyclable, with materials chosen to reduce environmental impact wherever possible.
Care

Your vintage silk piece is made from delicate materials and should be handled with care:

• Keep away from direct sunlight to preserve colour

• Reshape gently after use to maintain form

• Store in a cool, dry place when not in use

• Do not machine wash or tumble dry

• Professional cleaning by a specialist is recommended

Made from authentic vintage Japanese silk, each piece may show gentle signs of age. This is part of its character and history.

What does the crane symbol on this piece mean?

Tsuru (鶴)

The crane motif represents longevity and good fortune in traditional Japanese textiles.

Cranes are believed to live for a thousand years and inhabit the land of the immortals.

A pair represent a happy marriage and are often found on wedding kimono known as Uchikake.
Crane motif on Japanese silk textile with gold woven background (Tsuru)
Pine tree motif on vintage Japanese silk textile (Matsu)

What does the pine tree symbol on this piece mean?

Matsu (松)

The pine motif symbolises longevity, steadfastness and wisdom in age.

Evergreen through winter, pine also represents resilience and enduring strength. Pine is also one of the Three Friends of Winter, alongside bamboo and plum blossom, symbols admired for remaining strong and beautiful during the cold season.

Sometimes shown through the traditional pine bark diamond pattern (matsukawabishi), inspired by the textured bark of ancient pine trees.

What does the cloud symbol in this piece mean?

Kumo (雲)

The cloud motif symbolises divine authority and auspicious fortune.

In Japanese textile design, clouds are often rendered in simplified, stylised forms, although inspired by earlier more elaborate Chinese designs.

These cloud motifs have been used as decorative elements in backgrounds on woven silks since the Nara period (710-794 AD).
Cloud motif on woven gold and cream Japanese kimono silk textile (Kumo)
Mid Showa period Japanese textile era, c.1950s–1960s, featured in Kimono Living vintage silk pieces

Mid-Shōwa Period

The Shōwa era spanned 1926 to 1989, its name meaning 'enlightened peace' — a period of extraordinary contrast, from wartime turbulence to postwar renaissance. Many of our textiles date from the heart of this era.

Uchikake: traditional Japanese bridal kimono textile used in Kimono Living silk cushions and throws

The Uchikake

The uchikake (打掛, "to drape over") is the most ceremonial of all Japanese garments, a heavily embroidered outer robe worn by the bride on her wedding day, representing the pinnacle of the silk weaver's art.

This piece is made from an uchikake, carrying with it the beauty and significance of one of Japan's most treasured traditions.

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