Delicate pattern for this black ground haori, with a discreet pattern of matsuba (pine needles), kinoko (mushrooms), and dainty birds.

I also love that refined cream obi, depicting maple leaves caught in a spiderweb:

Picturesque antique furisode with soft olive green ground, depicting a bountiful zakuro (pomegranate tree) ripe with fruits. Tiny birds flutter around having quite a feast!

Warm autumnal tones for this antique outfit, showing a comforting kimono with jewel-colored birds (see close-up below) perched in a fruitful tree. It’s paired with a matching black-based obi with delicate feathers.

The birds somehow remind me of red-flanked bluetail but they do not exactly match (if you recognize them drop me a note ^^):

Fantastic unsual pattern for this summer kimono, depicting naturalistic birds (the goose!) over bamboo stalk ground.

Romantic (and very chic) haori, depicting an ume ni uguisu (bush warbler in plum tree), a pattern hinting at “match made in heaven” imagery.

The embroidered kamon is also lovely, as it depicts 3 sparrow-like birds:

(exact name for this kamon is “kashira awase mitsu musubi karigane” or “head-to-head 3 knot-like wild goose”)

Beautiful shine for this antique (?) silver obidome, with opal, amethyst and jade inlays over onyx ground.

It depicts auspicious nami chidori (plovers on the waves). As many tiny birds, plovers are part of traditional wintery kigo (seasonal words).

Colors of autumn antique outfit, with an unsual black-base satin obi with hanpainted foliage and embroidered colorful bird + juicy persimmons.

I am in love with the maple leaves kimono, pairing shadow leaves ground with just the right splash of rusty leaves here and there <3

Nice comparative chart by nature guide Kumasuke, showing the size differences between heron/egret species found commonly in Japan:

• Daisagi: great white heron or great egret. Note how the blue-green gape going past the eye
• Chûsagi: intermediate egret or yellow-billed egret. Note the yellow gape stopping under the eye
• Kosagi: little egret. Note the yellow feet + the fluffy crown

If I remember well, most egret/heron species slightly change coloring and/or grow fluffy feathers during mating season. Those feathers were once used for kanzashi hairpins, a remnant are the katsuyama kanzashi worn by maiko for Gion matsuri (see the butterflies faint “antennas”?):

Nowadays egret are protected and feathers still in use are from ancient stocks.

Egret species are often virtually impossible to tell apart in Japanese patterns. On this blog, I simply tag any of those birds under “sagi” :)