Imperial crimson silk table runner

Vintage Japanese table runner made from obi silk, imperial crimson with Kinran gold thread embroidery — snowflake and medallion motif cut from ceremonial textile, finished by Renaras in Amsterdam. The Imperial Crimson table runner comes from a vintage Japanese obi woven in the Kinran tradition — a technique where a gold-wrapped thread is woven into the silk structure using the supplementary weft method. Kinran silk was the most precious category of Japanese ceremonial textiles: reserved for the highest-ranking robes, altar cloths, and the most formal obi of the court period. The gold thread used in authentic Kinran is wrapped around a silk core, producing a surface that retains warmth without the fragility of pure metal thread. The pattern features snowflake-shaped medallions and star rosettes — both belonging to the family of circular yukiwa motifs historically associated with winter ceremonies and the purity of fresh snow — on a background of deep imperial crimson Ake-iro, the red of lacquer and the inner robes of Heian court figures. Measuring 150 × 30 cm, this table runner defines a formal dining table or buffet with the authority of a textile never intended for casual use. Unique piece — no restock.