A rectangular robe worn by Buddhist clerics. Appearing somewhat like rice paddies with rectangular fields outlined by ridges, kasaya are constructed of vertical panels lined up horizontally. These panels number five for daily wear, seven for religious services, and nine or more for special ceremonies. Each panel consists of several rectangular “fields.” The buddha Śākyamuni stipulated that kasaya be made from scraps of rags and discarded material. The salvageable fragments of textile would be washed, dyed, and stitched together to form the rectangular fields. The kasaya in the Shōsō-in preserve this concept, but since the scraps of material are beautiful silks, the effect is a stunning layered and quilted patchwork.