Toyotama Mukuge Haori

“Dragon Princess Hibiscus”
This striking haori is crafted in a deep ocean-blue silk, embroidered with pure white mukuge (Hibiscus syriacus) blossoms — a motif with powerful mythological resonance in Japan. The mukuge is the emblem associated with Ōkuninushi, but more significantly, it is intrinsically linked to Toyotama-hime (豊玉姫), the Dragon Princess and sea goddess of ancient legend.
Across both sleeves, three blossoms form a subtle triangular crest layout — a traditional divine arrangement that echoes Toyotama-hime’s classical iconography. In mythology, she is the daughter of the sea god Watatsumi, a dragon deity, and her palace gardens were said to bloom with white mukuge flowers.
The combination of blue silk and white hibiscus evokes her oceanic realm, purity, and transformation — a visual language found throughout historical textiles inspired by the Dragon Princess. The placement of the embroidery on the sleeves, emerging from stylised cloud-wave forms, references the famous scene where she rises from the sea.
Likely crafted in the late Shōwa era (circa 1960s–1980s), this haori is a modern reinterpretation of mythic elegance — bold, unisex, and richly symbolic.
A garment that carries the quiet power of folklore: serene, luminous, and touched with the grace of the sea goddess herself.