This beautiful Nishijin obi is using gold and silver threads to capture lives of mythical cranes.  In Japan, the crane is a mystical creature and is believed to live for a thousand years.  The crane represents good fortune and longevity. 

Width: 12 inches

Length:  14 feet

Nishijin weaving:

The name "Nishijin"(west position) came about because these gorgeous fabrics were produced in the area in Kyoto where the position of an army, then called "West Army" was in a civil war ("Onin no Ran") which lasted 10 years, ending in 1477. As it is woven with threads of many colors,"Nisahijin Ori" is a gorgeous and brilliant fabric representative of Japanese textiles. 

Fukuro obi (袋帯, "pouch obi") is the most formal obi actually used today.  The fukuro obi has replaced the heavy traditional formal maru obi.  Fukuro obi is made so that the part that will not be visible when worn is of smooth, thinner and lighter silk.  When worn, a fukuro obi is almost impossible to tell from a traditional maru obi.  This Fukuro obi has patterns only in the parts that will be prominent when the obi is worn in the common taiko musubi, and much lighter than the traditional maru obi.