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Embroidered satin women’s robe – Japan

Local Name	Kimono, robe
Object Category	Overgarment
Gender	Female
Place Of orgin	Asia
Region	Japan
Object Range	Japan
Dimensions	Length: 124 cm Width: 123 cm
Materials	Silk
Technique	Hand Stitched Hand Embroidered
Color
Motif	Floral
Provenance	Purchased, dealer, London 2017
Location	The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative
Status	In Storage
ZI number	ZI2017.500485 ASIA

Object History
This beautiful () in black () silk was purchased by in 2017 from a dealer in London to add to The Initiative’s collection.

Object Features 
This is an exquisitely embroidered black -style calf-length women’s robe with dense colourful embroidery on its back. It is very similar to (ZI2019.500923 ASIA), however, the latter is in () technique.
The front of the has a very balanced design distribution with both the collars and the sleeves displaying similar () embroidered patterns of floral motifs in silk threads.
The entire field of the back of the is heavily embroidered with silk threads of different colours. It is worth noting that this stitch is done in two layers whereby the first layer to create the designs is done in thick cotton threads which are then covered with another layer but in silk threads thus forming a relief on the garment.
The back of the depicts an idyllic countryside scene with a waterbody and a garden filled with cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums and other flowers in shades of pink and yellow, pines and firs in shades of green, and birds in flight in shades of blue, grey, and beige. The piece is hand-stitched and is lined with black () fabric.
The condition of this piece speaks volumes of its years of wear and tear, with quite a few places being torn especially around the collars and the embroidery.
The absence of typical characteristics present in a traditional in this piece suggests that perhaps it was made for the European market and was possibly won with a waistband. It has a very close resemblance to another piece in the collection in red (ZI2017.500744.1 ASIA) also made for a western market.
While the origin of certain techniques and methods in textiles like embroidery can be traced to China, and its spread across the world could be attributed to the Silk Road, other similar techniques and styles are believed to have originated independently in different regions of the world almost simultaneously in human history possibly from necessity and convenience.
Though The Initiative is concerned mainly with the dress and adornment heritage of the Arab world, it does include in its collection articles from areas outside the region. These tend to be collected to illustrate specific shared elements and influences attesting that the Arab world never existed in a vacuum. It constantly drew, and continues to draw, inspiration and influences from the cultures it comes in contact with be it through trade or geopolitical circumstances, especially those countries within the old silk route.
Therefore, one cannot but draw parallels between many techniques used in such garments, such as () and thread knotting techniques (), or flat metal adornment ( ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the North African Arab region specifically in Egypt.

; tariq; badla; ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment.

), that are quite similar to those found in different parts of the Arab region.
The , in particular, displays similarities that can be drawn with the pattern of Arab women’s overgarment or the (), common to the Gulf region, constructed of three uncut panels of broad clothes forming the central body panel and the side sleeve panels very similar in shape to the .

Links

Morishima, Yuki, et al. Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. Refashioned: Japan’s Impact on International Fashion. USA, Asian Art Museum, 2018.

Kahlenberg, Mary Hunt. Asian Costumes and Textiles: From the Bosphorus to Fujiama. Italy, Skira, 2001.

Liddell, Jill. The Story of the Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. . USA, E P Dutton, 1989.

Dalby, Liza Crihfield. Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. : Fashioning Culture. Reaktion Books, 1993.

Gluckman, Dale Carolyn and Sharon Sadako Takeda. When Art Became Fashion: Kosode Kosode: (Japanese: small sleeve or opening), a traditional Japanese inner robe for both genders. Similar to a kimono but with a wider body, longer collars, and narrower and rounded sleeves, often stitched to the body, these under robes were lavishly decorated and were worn on top from late 16th century. in Edo-Period Japan. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1996.

Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. : Kyoto to Catwalk. 27 Aug. – 25 Oct. 2020, V&A South Kensington, London https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. -kyoto-to-catwalk

Gluckman, Dale Carolyn. “Liza Dalby. Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. : Fashioning Culture.:Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. : Fashioning Culture.” Museum Anthropology, vol. 19, no. 1, Mar. 1995, pp. 79–81. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1525/mua.1995.19.1.79

“Meisen Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. From HALI 184 - HALI.” HALI, 24 July 2015, hali.com/news/meisen-kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. .

Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. Style: Edo Traditions to Modern Design: The John C. Weber Collection. USA, Met Publications, www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Kimono_Style

Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. Refashioned. 8 Feb. – 5 May, 2019, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. -refashioned/

Takeda, Sharon Sadako. Monumenta Nipponica, vol. 49, no. 2, 1994, pp. 245–47. JSTOR,https://doi.org/10.2307/2385177. Accessed 10 May 2023.

Guth, Christine. Journal of Japanese Studies, vol. 20, no. 2, 1994, pp. 518–22. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/133209. Accessed 10 May 2023.

Richard, Naomi Noble. “Nō Motifs in the Decoration of a Mid-Edo Period Kosode Kosode: (Japanese: small sleeve or opening), a traditional Japanese inner robe for both genders. Similar to a kimono but with a wider body, longer collars, and narrower and rounded sleeves, often stitched to the body, these under robes were lavishly decorated and were worn on top from late 16th century. .” Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 25, 1990, pp. 175–83. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1512899. Accessed 10 May 2023.

Kramer, Elizabeth. “Review of ‘Kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. : A Modern History.’” Reviews in History, School of Advanced Study, 2015. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14296/rih/2014/1787.

https://daily.jstor.org/the-surprising-history-of-the-kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. /

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-origin-of-kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. -the-kyoto-museum-of-traditional-crafts/iQWRIzW_YsXFJQ?hl=en

https://www.kyohaku.go.jp/eng/collection/meihin/senshoku/item07/

https://blog.nms.ac.uk/2021/12/03/stories-in-silk/

https://www.si.edu/object/kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. %3Achndm_1931-4-65

https://www.tmja.org.il/eng/Exhibitions/493/Decorative_Motifs_in_Japanese_Art

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2014-3009-61

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4101580?origin=crossref

https://www.britannica.com/event/Genroku-period

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/fashion-books-of-the-edo-period-kyoto-prefectural-library-and-archives/OwXxeSDqD6O5Lw?hl=en

https://www.rochestertextile.com/post/398841446836/japanese-crepe
Crepe: (Latin: crispus; Old French: crespe – curled or frizzed), is a lightweight, crinkled fabric with a pebbled texture woven from a hand spun untreated or ‘in the gum’ silk yarn.
-fabrics-chirimen chirimen: A Japanese crepe
Crepe: (Latin: crispus; Old French: crespe – curled or frizzed), is a lightweight, crinkled fabric with a pebbled texture woven from a hand spun untreated or ‘in the gum’ silk yarn.
fabric traditionally made from silk. It has a distinctive pebbly texture and is commonly used in kimono and other traditional garments. Originally brought from China chirimen weaving extensively developed during the Edo period (1603-1868) and continues to be a popular textile in modern Japan. -kinsha

https://www.kyoto-museums.jp/en/museum/east/3754/

https://www.kitchenstudiofactory.com/critical-craft-biography/rags-to-riches-kosode Kosode: (Japanese: small sleeve or opening), a traditional Japanese inner robe for both genders. Similar to a kimono but with a wider body, longer collars, and narrower and rounded sleeves, often stitched to the body, these under robes were lavishly decorated and were worn on top from late 16th century. -to-kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan.

Embroidered satin women’s robe – Japan

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