Not currently on display at the V&A

Under-Kimono

1930 - 1939 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Under-kimono (juban or jiban) for a woman. The kimono is of the usual construction but without the addition of extra material at either side of the front opening. The straight neckband extends to the hem and there is a short overcollar of wavy crêpe material. The sleeves are open all the way up at the wrist side although on the right side there is an oversewn stitch halfway along the edge. At the body side the sleeves are left open until they join the main garment body.
The entire kimono is made up of different patchwork pieces, mostly rectangular in shape. Most of them either self-patterned or printed in imitation of resist-dyed designs or other motifs. A few pieces are of woven checks. The predominant colours are turquoise, grey, black and yellow with some pinky-beige and purple. There are few reds.
The lining, although not patchwork as such, is made up of several different materials and trimmings. The main garment body down to knee level and the sleeves are lined with cream plain weave silk. Below knee level, the lining is of black plain weave material. Both the cream and black material have lines of machine stitching on them, some of which serve to repair holes. The inside hem is trimmed with a blue self-patterned ribbon with a scalloped edge. The same ribbon in grey trims the upper inside edge of the cuffs, and in addition the sleeves have a deeper inside cuff lining of patterned grey material. The sleeve opening towards the body is faced on the inside with a red plain weave silk, while the seam opening opposite the sleeve is faced with mauve plain weave silk.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk patchwork
Brief description
Juban for a woman, polychrome patchwork pieces, the majority are self-patterned silk, Japan, 1930s
Physical description
Under-kimono (juban or jiban) for a woman. The kimono is of the usual construction but without the addition of extra material at either side of the front opening. The straight neckband extends to the hem and there is a short overcollar of wavy crêpe material. The sleeves are open all the way up at the wrist side although on the right side there is an oversewn stitch halfway along the edge. At the body side the sleeves are left open until they join the main garment body.
The entire kimono is made up of different patchwork pieces, mostly rectangular in shape. Most of them either self-patterned or printed in imitation of resist-dyed designs or other motifs. A few pieces are of woven checks. The predominant colours are turquoise, grey, black and yellow with some pinky-beige and purple. There are few reds.
The lining, although not patchwork as such, is made up of several different materials and trimmings. The main garment body down to knee level and the sleeves are lined with cream plain weave silk. Below knee level, the lining is of black plain weave material. Both the cream and black material have lines of machine stitching on them, some of which serve to repair holes. The inside hem is trimmed with a blue self-patterned ribbon with a scalloped edge. The same ribbon in grey trims the upper inside edge of the cuffs, and in addition the sleeves have a deeper inside cuff lining of patterned grey material. The sleeve opening towards the body is faced on the inside with a red plain weave silk, while the seam opening opposite the sleeve is faced with mauve plain weave silk.
Dimensions
  • Including collar length: 120cm
  • Across sleeves width: 122cm
Style
Object history
Purchased. Registered File number 1987/493.

The dates were assigned to this under-kimono and to FE.11, 12, 14 and 15-1987 by the vendor. No further work on the dating has been undertaken in the Department.
Historical context
For resist techniques of this kind and also pictures of under-kimono see Wada, Y., Kellogg Rice, M., & Barton, J., Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing, Tokyo: Kodansha, 1983. NAL Bibliographic Ref. No.: 505.F.31

For a 19th century juban see Stinchecum, A., Kosode: 16th – 19th Century Textiles from the Nomura Collection New York & Tokyo: Japan Society and Kodansha International, 1984, pp. 190-1, plate 56. NAL Bibliographic Ref. No.: 18.HH.158

Some of the patchwork material bears some similarity to an album of Japanese textile samples dated to the 1960s. See FED Photo Archive under Japanese Textiles: 20th century.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
FE.13-1987

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Record createdFebruary 12, 2000
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