'Fashionable Brocade Patterns of the Palace' thumbnail 1
'Fashionable Brocade Patterns of the Palace' thumbnail 2
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On loan

  • On short term loan out for exhibition

'Fashionable Brocade Patterns of the Palace'

Wooblock Print
1847-1852 (made)
Artist/Maker
Utagawa Kunisada (artist)
Place of origin
Japan (made)
Edo (made)

This three-sheet print designed by Utagawa Kunisada I depicts a woman at her toilet. She sits before an eleborate lacquer cosmetic box and, while drying her face, looks at fabric samples being shown to her by another woman, probably a merchant's representative. On the left an attendant is hanging kimono over a rack. This was done to air the garments, but also created an attractive display.

Object details

Category
Prints
Object type
Wooblock print
Title'Fashionable Brocade Patterns of the Palace' (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Woodblock print on paper
Paper
Woodblock Print
Brief description
Woodblock print, left sheet of triptych 'Fashionable Brocade Patterns of the Palace' by Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1865), Japan, Edo (Tokyo), 1847–1852
Physical description
Woodblock print. Sheet of triptych. Ōban format, nishiki-e (full-colour print). Figure on grey-blue ground.
Dimensions
  • Height: 36.0cm
  • Width: 24.9cm
Styles
Edo
Ukiyo-E
Marks and inscriptions
Gosho Moyo Tosei Nishiki
Translation
Fashionable brocade patterns of the Imperial palace
Gallery label
(29/2/2020)
A woman is sitting in front of a mirror, the stand for which holds make-up brushes and combs. She is in a yukata, an informal cotton garment, and her bedding is piled up behind her. As she wipes her face, one attendant shows her fabrics that have arrived from Daimaruya, the kimono shop’s crest visible on the packaging. Another is choosing kimono from a rack where garments have been airing.
Summary
This three-sheet print designed by Utagawa Kunisada I depicts a woman at her toilet. She sits before an eleborate lacquer cosmetic box and, while drying her face, looks at fabric samples being shown to her by another woman, probably a merchant's representative. On the left an attendant is hanging kimono over a rack. This was done to air the garments, but also created an attractive display.
Associated objects
Bibliographic reference
Jackson, Anna (editor), Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, London: V&A Publications, 2020
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
CIRC.636-1962

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Record createdApril 5, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O133672/fashionable-brocade-patterns-of-the-wooblock-print-utagawa-kunisada/
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