Japanese Kimono Exhibit

While Pete's mom was visiting from Vermont in March and April we were learning about Japan so we went to see the “Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco and Modernism in Japan” showcases nearly 100 elegant kimono at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. The garments are from the late 19th to early 20th centuries and include formal, semi-formal, casual and kimono-related styles such as haori jackets.

The show was like a magnificent maze, as we walked around and between the rows of kimono. With every step, a kimono can be seen at all times in this display; each one is more breathtaking than the other with its rich fabrics, exquisite detailing and bold, dramatic prints.

The exhibition spans the era of the “living” kimono, the 1890s to the 1940s, when the kimono was the attire of choice for the majority of Japanese men, women and children. During this time, the kimono faded as Western clothes became everyday wear. Eventually, the kimono took on a solely formal and ceremonial role.

The designs that cover traditional kimono are rooted in the beauty of nature. Cranes and dragonflies are dominant images, as are flowers and bamboo. But with time and technology, more ornate and large designs began to blossom as the Western art movements Art Deco and Art Nouveau started to inspire East Asia. Some of the kimono in the show boast abstract and geometric prints, as well as ethnic motifs such as African and American Indian.

The boys’ kimono feature some of the more unique and historical images. There’s one covered in hand-painted mice to signify the Year of the Mouse and several with Japanese war planes, tanks and ships on them. Baseballs, puppies, dragons and even images from Christianity can be seen on the male kimono.

There are several types of kimono textiles and techniques. Silk is the most common fabric, but a few of the summer ones are made of a gauze-weave or linen-like fabric. Patterns are produced by weaving, hand painting, embroidery or use of stencils. The more intricate and complex designs were created by the “kata-yuzen” method. Developed in the late 19th century, this method uses chemical dyes mixed with rice paste applied through stencils and onto the surface of the fabric.