noun
shawl (on shoulder of woman's dress)
Archaic term for a decorative shawl or shoulder cloth worn with traditional women's attire, such as court dress or bridal costume.
平安時代の女性は、肩巾をまとって礼装とした。
Women in the Heian period wore a shawl called a hire as formal attire.
この絵巻には、肩巾をかけた女官が描かれている。
In this picture scroll, a court lady wearing a hire is depicted.
The historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 肩巾 (shoulder + cloth) and 領巾 (collar + cloth) are descriptive of the garment's function.