Fireworks at Ryogoku Bridge thumbnail 1
Fireworks at Ryogoku Bridge thumbnail 2
+7
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On short term loan out for exhibition

Fireworks at Ryogoku Bridge

Woodblock Print
1820-1825 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

People gather to watch fireworks on a summer evening. They wear simply- patterned kimono permitted by the sumptuary laws. These edicts banned expensive red dye, but there was no restriction on using the colour for undergarments or linings. One woman is lifting the hem of her kimono to seductively reveal the red underneath. Wearing the coveted colour in this way became very fashionable, a fleeting glimpse being deemed more sensuous than an overt display.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Woodblock Print
  • Woodblock Print
TitleFireworks at Ryogoku Bridge (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Colour woodblock printing on paper
Brief description
Pap, Japan, prints
Fireworks at Ryogoku Bridge, by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825), Edo (Tokyo), 1820-1825
Physical description
Six-sheet woodblock print by Utagawa Toyokuni depicting crowds watching a firework display at Ryogoku Bridge in Edo (Tokyo)
Dimensions
  • Height: 72.6cm
  • Depth: 72.6cm
Size of all six sheets mounted together
Style
Gallery label
People gather to watch fireworks on a summer evening. They wear simply-patterned kimono permitted by the sumptuary laws. These edicts banned expensive red dye, but there was no restriction on using the colour for undergarments or linings. One woman is lifting the hem of her kimono to seductively reveal the red underneath. Wearing the coveted colour in this way became very fashionable, a fleeting glimpse being deemed more sensuous than an overt display.(29/2/2020)
Object history
Acquisition method and source not identified in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1886. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary
People gather to watch fireworks on a summer evening. They wear simply- patterned kimono permitted by the sumptuary laws. These edicts banned expensive red dye, but there was no restriction on using the colour for undergarments or linings. One woman is lifting the hem of her kimono to seductively reveal the red underneath. Wearing the coveted colour in this way became very fashionable, a fleeting glimpse being deemed more sensuous than an overt display.
Bibliographic references
  • Jackson, Anna (editor), Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, London: V&A Publications, 2020
  • Rout, Josephine, Japanese Dress in Detail, London: Thames & Hudson, 2020
Collection
Accession number
E.4900:1, 2-1886

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Record createdAugust 1, 2004
Record URL
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