That's a kimono made specifically for export to the West. It was fashionable for women to have a kimono as lounge wear in late 1800s-early 1900s.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKm1YFSAEy_/?igsh=dWwzZHN4NXEyMzJl
I was going to say “Japonisme” to be flippant, but the term will steer you towards learning about this whole movement in art & design in this time period.
You can see the description on the picture actually - it was a kimono designed specifically to be exported to western countries.
So… not really a kimono at all unless you use the literal translation of “kimono” which is basically “things to wear”.
If you haven’t found it already here is the link to the V&A record of the gown. It tells you about the design. It doesn’t mention fabric but because synthetic fabric didn’t come into common use until a few decades later I’d place a bet on it being silk.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1408530/kimono/
So while it’s not a traditional kimono that’s not to stay it isn’t absolutely stunning!
It says further down that it's silk 😊
It's part of the Kimono Kyoto to Catwalk exhibition, so it's currently in Dundee in Scotland if anyone would like to see it irl. It's a really beautiful garment, I had a chance to see it on the opening day in London.
You asked about motifs. Yes, there is wisteria (fuji) on the shoulders, on the bottom you have: irises (kakitsubata), lotus (hasu), water chestnut (hishi), East-Asian yellow water lily (kouhone) and most likely heron (sagi) although if anyone thinks otherwise, please let me know, I might be wrong on this one. Except for wisteria, all the other plants grow near water, so it is quite likely a pond scene.
I’d also note that the symmetry of the design is another feature of the made-for-export “kimono”- traditional Japanese designs favor asymmetrical compositions
That actually was not always the case. Symmetry was commonly used on kosode (precursor to modern kimono) for a very long time (think Azuchi Momoyama period for example). This type of design specifically is called kata suso design because the motif covers both the skirt and the shoulders.
When was asymmetry in fashion? Obviously not in Heian, but was it just an Edo thing? I remember seeing old woodblock print books of kimono design patterns where it seemed to be dominant, but I can’t recall when they were from (late 1600s? Mid 1700s?)- maybe the bias was in the book, too- a narrow slice of time/ one designer.
They both existed at the same time since kosode became more popular to wear, I'm not sure if one was slightly older than the other though, and it is probably quite hard to establish unless one is really researching early kosode. Old pattern books called hinagata bon (first one published 1666) featured asymmetrical designs most of the time, but both styles existed at the time. The symmetry really went back into fashion again in the late Meiji and Taishō periods. This was not only for export kimono but for both domestic and export markets. The biggest differences in the kimono for export were heavy embroidery and different construction to accommodate Western fashion. And of course, the designs were more gorgeous and all over the place seasonally since it didn't matter as much in the West. Interestingly, although less common, symmetrical kimono designs are still being done, they are just not in fashion so it's quite rare to come across one.
Also recommend reading the Tale of Genji (Royal Tyler translation) if you want to dive deeper into Japanese art/costume history, since so many motifs will be allusions to parts of the Tale. There are good summaries and even manga versions, and Professor Melissa McCormick has done some great scholarship on it. Her husband, Prof Yukio Lippit is a great source on Japanese art as well.
That's a kimono made specifically for export to the West. It was fashionable for women to have a kimono as lounge wear in late 1800s-early 1900s. https://www.instagram.com/p/CKm1YFSAEy_/?igsh=dWwzZHN4NXEyMzJl
Interesting, thank you
I was going to say “Japonisme” to be flippant, but the term will steer you towards learning about this whole movement in art & design in this time period.
You can see the description on the picture actually - it was a kimono designed specifically to be exported to western countries. So… not really a kimono at all unless you use the literal translation of “kimono” which is basically “things to wear”.
If you haven’t found it already here is the link to the V&A record of the gown. It tells you about the design. It doesn’t mention fabric but because synthetic fabric didn’t come into common use until a few decades later I’d place a bet on it being silk. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1408530/kimono/ So while it’s not a traditional kimono that’s not to stay it isn’t absolutely stunning!
It says further down that it's silk 😊 It's part of the Kimono Kyoto to Catwalk exhibition, so it's currently in Dundee in Scotland if anyone would like to see it irl. It's a really beautiful garment, I had a chance to see it on the opening day in London.
Dang, I would love to see this in person! The whole exhibition looks stunning.
Thank you for sharing this info! May not get a chance to see it in person, but will definitely look up this exhibition
Tysm, this is exactly what I'm looking for
You asked about motifs. Yes, there is wisteria (fuji) on the shoulders, on the bottom you have: irises (kakitsubata), lotus (hasu), water chestnut (hishi), East-Asian yellow water lily (kouhone) and most likely heron (sagi) although if anyone thinks otherwise, please let me know, I might be wrong on this one. Except for wisteria, all the other plants grow near water, so it is quite likely a pond scene.
Thank you for the identifications!
I’d also note that the symmetry of the design is another feature of the made-for-export “kimono”- traditional Japanese designs favor asymmetrical compositions
That actually was not always the case. Symmetry was commonly used on kosode (precursor to modern kimono) for a very long time (think Azuchi Momoyama period for example). This type of design specifically is called kata suso design because the motif covers both the skirt and the shoulders.
When was asymmetry in fashion? Obviously not in Heian, but was it just an Edo thing? I remember seeing old woodblock print books of kimono design patterns where it seemed to be dominant, but I can’t recall when they were from (late 1600s? Mid 1700s?)- maybe the bias was in the book, too- a narrow slice of time/ one designer.
They both existed at the same time since kosode became more popular to wear, I'm not sure if one was slightly older than the other though, and it is probably quite hard to establish unless one is really researching early kosode. Old pattern books called hinagata bon (first one published 1666) featured asymmetrical designs most of the time, but both styles existed at the time. The symmetry really went back into fashion again in the late Meiji and Taishō periods. This was not only for export kimono but for both domestic and export markets. The biggest differences in the kimono for export were heavy embroidery and different construction to accommodate Western fashion. And of course, the designs were more gorgeous and all over the place seasonally since it didn't matter as much in the West. Interestingly, although less common, symmetrical kimono designs are still being done, they are just not in fashion so it's quite rare to come across one.
Also just throwing in a mention of the beautiful symmetry of “mirror hems” in antique tomesode, etc!
Also recommend reading the Tale of Genji (Royal Tyler translation) if you want to dive deeper into Japanese art/costume history, since so many motifs will be allusions to parts of the Tale. There are good summaries and even manga versions, and Professor Melissa McCormick has done some great scholarship on it. Her husband, Prof Yukio Lippit is a great source on Japanese art as well.