Long Undergarment (light blue ground, pattern on kimono) (Nagajuban)

A woman arranges her nagajuban — the long silk undergarment worn beneath the outer kimono — its light blue ground patterned with delicate textile design. Kotondo renders the fabric's weight and texture through sensitive line work, the garment's looseness suggesting the private, unhurried atmosphere of a woman dressing alone. The July date (summer) implies the use of lighter silk appropriate to the season. The nagajuban subject allowed Kotondo to explore both the body partially revealed and the beauty of Japanese textile design.