Orange kimono.

A kimono owned by Margaret Thatcher, acquired from her family following her death. It is unknown whether Thatcher purchased the kimono directly or was given it as a gift, but she probably acquired it during her visit to Japan in early September 1991, where she made three public speeches. It would have been an important acquisition, with high-quality kimonos fetching thousands of pounds both at the time and since. The kimono is handmade, using the Kaga-Yuzen style of dyeing silk. A label on the sleeve reveals the Kimono was purchased from the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in 1991. The kimono is believed to have been made by Hata Tokio. An accompanying printed inscription on white card mount provides the description in Japanese, which can be loosely translated as the following: "Heart. Three outstanding craftsmen, who have been involved in the dyeing art for around 50 years, have spent two and a half months producing this fantastic kimono. In addition, they have put their mind and soul into the kimono, to show the unique atmosphere of Japan. (Dyeing traits) 1. Makinori: Makinori is a difficult and highly skilled method which uses the fingertips to sprinkle hard and tiny paste evenly. 2. Yuzen: The beautiful patter on kimonos is a traditional Japanese dyeing skill, known as Yuzen in traditional fabric culture. 3. Bright colour: Due to good water quality, the colour is bright and observable. With the three dyeing traits, this brand new composite design was born by the combination of the Japanese environment with Japanese craftsmanship." Bright orange floral-patterned silk kimono, encased in orange cloth and white paper with string ties and Japanese calligraphic lettering, 2 medallions with purple cords. Housed in original green and blue cardboard box within a wooden box, with a warehouse sticker from storage following Thatcher's death. In superb condition.…