Red silk kimono bolster cushion featuring gold and white cranes, crafted from vintage Japanese silk

Long Red Silk Cushion -Kimono Cranes with Taupe Velvet

£240.00
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Red silk kimono bolster cushion featuring gold and white cranes, crafted from vintage Japanese silk
  • Red silk kimono bolster cushion featuring gold and white cranes, crafted from vintage Japanese silk
  • Flying crane detail on a vintage Japanese kimono pillow, white crane over silver and gold clouds over red silk base.
  • Close-up of the vintage Japanese bolster pillow with striped red ground and gold flying crane motif.
  • Long red silk bolster cushion made from vintage Japanese kimono silk with flying cranes and metallic cloud motifs.
  • Close-up of textured taupe velvet reverse of the Crane Bolster Pillow.
  • Red silk kimono bolster cushion featuring gold and white cranes, crafted from vintage Japanese silk
  • Flying crane detail on a vintage Japanese kimono pillow, white crane over silver and gold clouds over red silk base.
  • Close-up of the vintage Japanese bolster pillow with striped red ground and gold flying crane motif.
  • Long red silk bolster cushion made from vintage Japanese kimono silk with flying cranes and metallic cloud motifs.
  • Close-up of textured taupe velvet reverse of the Crane Bolster Pillow.
Long Red Silk Cushion -Kimono Cranes with Taupe Velvet

Long Red Silk Cushion -Kimono Cranes with Taupe Velvet

  • c.1970s
  • Vintage Uchikake bridal kimono silk
  • Rare woven stripe silk with gilt cranes
£240.00

Shipping calculated at checkout | 30 Day Returns

Five cranes rise through clouds of steel blue, silver and golden this long red silk bolster cushion. The birds are gilt-outlined, flat-woven, graphic. Not decorative in the fussy sense, precise, almost architectural.

The silk beneath them is vintage vermillion, a fine woven stripe running through it that only reveals itself in raking light. This is c.1970s Uchikake silk, woven for a Japanese wedding. Every element chosen for meaning: cranes (Tsuru) are believed to live for a thousand years, a promise of good fortune woven into every thread.

The reverse is taupe crushed velvet, warm, quiet, the perfect foil for the vermillion. A cushion that works as hard in a neutral room as it does in a bold one.
Details
  • Dimensions: 89cm x 30cm / 35" x 12" approx.
  • Vintage Textile: Uchikake kimono silk, vermillion stripe ground with cranes and metallic clouds
  • Reverse Textile: Taupe crushed velvet
  • Construction: Cotton lined with concealed zip at base for easy pad removal
  • Includes: Cover only. Insert not included
  • Edition: Limited edition of 2
  • Age: Mid-Shōwa period, c.1970s
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).
Orders are sent using tracked and insured services.

• Dispatch time: 1–2 business days

• UK delivery: 2–3 business days

• USA & Canada: 5–8 business days

• Australia & New Zealand: 6–8 business days

• Europe & Rest of World: 6–10 business 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, including kimono, obi and uchikake textiles, 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.

Pairs of cranes 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)
Cloud motif on woven gold and cream Japanese kimono silk textile (Kumo)

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).

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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