- Kimono
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Kimono
- Place of origin:
Japan
- Date:
1870-1890
- Materials and Techniques:
Plain weave crepe, resist-dyeing, ink painting, embroidery. Lining: plain weave, block-clamp resist-dyeing.
- Museum number:
FE.18:1-2014 to FE.18:2-2014
- Gallery location:
On short term loan out for exhibition []
This supremely elegant formal kimono is completely devoid of decoration on the back apart from the three crests denoting the family of the woman who wore it. On the front, only the area around the hem and opening bears a pattern which extends to the inside of the garment. The minutely detailed scene shows women picking tea from bushes alongside a lake, the delicate shading into the plain blue-grey of the main body of the garment suggesting the cool light of morning. One notable fashion trend of the Meiji period was the emergence of the two-layered kimono set which featured outer and inner garments of the same design. Here the inner garment, called a dōnuki, has a simplified version of the patterning of the outer kimono, while the main body is of a light, plain weave silk dyed bright red using a clamping resist-dyeing technique (itajime). Not designed to be seen, this fabric was mass-produced and thus much cheaper than that used for the main parts of the ensemble, but it was nevertheless considered very modern and stylish. The subtle patterning and hidden lining suggest the woman who wore this kimono ensemble had sophisticated taste.
