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On loan

  • On short term loan out for exhibition

Kimono

1860-1890 (made)
Place of origin
Japan (made)

In 1891 the V&A purchased this kimono from Liberty's, the London shop founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875. Liberty's specialised in selling goods imported from Asia and played an important part in fostering the late 19th-century craze for all things Japanese. The garment is decorated with a pattern of rippling water, bamboo and birds. Such stylised natural motifs provided a new and important source of inspiration to British designers.

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read Kimono Japan has a very rich textile history, with the kimono being a major focus of interest and artistic expression. Meaning 'the thing to wear', the term kimono was first adopted in the mid-19th century. Originally worn by commoners, or as an undergarment by the aristocracy, from the 16th cent...

Object details

Categories
Clothing
Fashion
Object type
Kimono
Materials and techniques
Figured satin silk, paste-resist dyeing, embroidery
Brief description
Kimono, figured satin silk (rinzu) with freehand resist-dyed and embroidered decoration of rippling stream, bamboo and birds, Japan, 1860 - 1890
Physical description
Kimono with pattern of rippling water, bamboo and birds. Figured satin silk (rinzu), freehand paste-resist dyeing (yūzen), embroidery in silk and gold-wrapped silk threads
Dimensions
  • Repeat length: 18cm
  • Collar to hem length: 158cm
  • Including sleeves width: 167.5cm
  • Under arms width: 76.2cm
Gallery label
(29/02/2020)
The V&A bought this kimono from Liberty & Co. in 1891. The London shop specialised in goods imported from Asia and did much to foster the fashion for the wearing of kimono. For most, the garment suggested luxury and non-conformity. It could also hint at the supposed eroticism of the East. For those advocating dress reform, however, the kimono offered inspiration for a style of clothing free of restrictive corsets.
Object history
Purchased from Liberty & Co. (Regent Street, W.), accessioned in 1891. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Bought from Liberty & Co.
Subjects depicted
Bamboo
Cloud
Bird
Association
Liberty & Co
Summary
In 1891 the V&A purchased this kimono from Liberty's, the London shop founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875. Liberty's specialised in selling goods imported from Asia and played an important part in fostering the late 19th-century craze for all things Japanese. The garment is decorated with a pattern of rippling water, bamboo and birds. Such stylised natural motifs provided a new and important source of inspiration to British designers.
Bibliographic references
  • Greenhalgh, Paul (Ed.), Art Nouveau: 1890-1914 . London: V&A Publications, 2000
  • Jackson, Anna (editor), Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, London: V&A Publishing, 2020
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
874-1891

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Record createdDecember 19, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O87849/kimono/
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