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On loan
  • On short term loan out for exhibition

Engagement Ribbon

Kimono
2016
Place of origin

Shigemune Tamao’s design make full use of the fluttering sleeves on this furisode kimono. At the front a pair of swans grace each sleeve, surrounded by pink, white and yellow roses, butterflies and bumble bees with a large red and white striped ribbon at the right shoulder. Entitled ‘Engagement Ribbon’, Shigemune created this after her own engagement. While her brand is based in Tokyo, this digitally-printed kimono was made at the Kyoto studio of fellow contemporary kimono makers Modern Antenna. Formal kimono such as furisode tend to be rather conventional making this an exceptional piece. The design reflects Shigemune's interest in surrealism.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleEngagement Ribbon (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Figured satin silk (rinzu) with digital printing
Brief description
Kimono, titled 'Engagement Ribbon' by Shigemune Tamao, figured satin silk (rinzu) with digitally-printed decoration of a ribbon tied in a bow, roses, butterflies and swans above a landscape with a castle, Japan, 2016
Physical description
Kimono for a young, unmarried woman (furisode) to be worn on formal occasions. The figured satin silk (rinzu) is woven with a spotted pattern while the design, based on a sketch by the designer, is digitally-printed. There is a large red and white striped ribbon at the right shoulder, surrounded by pink, white and yellow roses, butterflies and bumble bees, with a swan on each sleeve. At the hem, a procession of figures walk through a desert landscape towards a European-style castle. The kimono is lined with pink edged white plain weave silk.
Dimensions
  • Length: 152cm
  • Width: 136cm
Gallery label
(29/02/2020)
Surrealist imagery adorns this formal furisode kimono, making what is normally a conservative garment subversive. The swans, roses, butterflies and bumble bees are in keeping with a garment for a young woman, yet the mysterious landscape at the hem seems slightly sinister. Tokyo-based Shigemune Tamao created this garment after getting engaged. She had it made in Kyoto, at the studio of fellow contemporary kimono designers Modern Antenna.
Summary
Shigemune Tamao’s design make full use of the fluttering sleeves on this furisode kimono. At the front a pair of swans grace each sleeve, surrounded by pink, white and yellow roses, butterflies and bumble bees with a large red and white striped ribbon at the right shoulder. Entitled ‘Engagement Ribbon’, Shigemune created this after her own engagement. While her brand is based in Tokyo, this digitally-printed kimono was made at the Kyoto studio of fellow contemporary kimono makers Modern Antenna. Formal kimono such as furisode tend to be rather conventional making this an exceptional piece. The design reflects Shigemune's interest in surrealism.
Bibliographic references
  • Jackson, Anna (editor), Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, London: V&A Publications, 2020
  • Rout, Josephine, Japanese Dress in Detail, London: Thames & Hudson, 2020
  • Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
Accession number
FE.43-2018

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Record createdFebruary 14, 2018
Record URL
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