The Lunar Leopard Wool Silk Twill Shawl 135 in Winter/Flint

This design references many elements of the arts and culture of Edo-period Japan. It features a magnificent clouded leopard filling the centre of the design. The leopard’s pose is slightly stooped, indicating uneasiness at being released into a strange new territory; his whiskers are wild and unruly, his facial expression alert and attentive. A leopard tortoise sits atop the protagonist’s back, holding in its mouth a long, tasselled rope, knotted in the style of samurai armour. At the feet of the feline, two ship rats are equally perturbed by their new surroundings. Wary of the hungry beast above them, one rodent curls up into a disguise, mimicking the intricate circular tsuba (sword guards) which are strung together to create the borders of this design. Overhead, swallows sweep through the starry midnight sky, willow branches flutter and a crescent moon glows in the distance. Traditional Nobori flags featuring woodblock prints and mounted on bamboo poles flank the scene as part of the