National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

These trousers (J., hakama) of a noblewoman were intended for a female deity. From the Heian period (794-1185) on, this type of seashore pattern (J., kaibu) was customarily painted on the skirt-like train of court ladies’ formal ceremonial attire (J., mo). Thus this garment has traditionally been known as Kaibu no Mo, or “Seashore Train.” The design is composed of such Japanese-style motifs as a gently curving coastline, pines, and mandarin ducks. Each of these elements represents good fortune, making the garment particularly suitable as an offering to a deity.