Katsugi, a kimono-shaped head covering, was worn by women when they were outdoors. The katsugi probably evolved from an extra garment draped over the head to protect the wearer from the sun and prying eyes. It eventually became a special garment, with the neckband placed two or three inches below the shoulder line to form a kind of pocket for the head.

This silk katsugi was woven using the leno gauze weave technique. The central area is decorated in a zig-zag “mountain path” pattern, executed in two shades of indigo. The aoi crests on the shoulders indicate that this garment belonged to one of the members of a branch of Tokugawa shogun family.