Mountains and ocean glow softly in the reflection of the setting sun in this kimono, which offers a quiet sense of contemplation. Tie-dye techniques and delicate shading add perspective and depth to this imagined land of surreal beauty.

From the tsujigahana-bedecked slopes of the magical mountain in the foreground of Benigara/ The Purple Hour of Temperance, we are given a far-reaching view that stretches across the quiet waters of evening to distant blue islands of fantasy. Areas of water and sky have been dyed to produce a stippled effect that gives a textured and nuanced quality to the subtle colour gradations that embrace the scene and add to an overall sense of the surreal. A sophisticated dyeing technique called makinori (‘sprinkled rice paste’) may have been used to create this impression, but Kubota’s dyeing processes are often difficult to decipher.