Object History
This woven linen and printed silk (yosegire_kimono) originally belonging to a wealthy merchant’s wife from the Shonai region of the Yamagata prefecture in Japan was purchased by Dr. Reem Tariq El Mutwalli from a dealer in Japan in 2017 to enhance the collection of The Zay Initiative.
Object Features
This is a patchwork yosegire_kimono is constructed of two woven linen and silk with stencil printing or (katazome_print) technique.
The field of the (kimono) is primarily constructed of black and ivory woven linen with geometric chequered tile patterns, while the lower half of the front opening along with the hemline is patched with an (indigo) blue silk embellished with floral patterns executed through stencil printing or katazome_print technique.
The lining of the piece reflects the use of dual fabric like the top. It is primarily lined with an orange (satin) fabric that has been (shibori) dyed in a vibrant orange with safflower petals and the broad black satin hem along the fall and the sleeves. It is also slightly padded possibly made for using in the cool autumn or spring months.
A yosegire_kimono became fashionable during the Edo Period – 1603-1867 CE – when strict sumptuary laws put restrictions on the usage of silk and expensive fabric. However, economic development resulting in the rise of the rich merchant class gave rise to this kind of kimono.
A yosegire_kimono is essentially a kimono made by putting together two or more different types of fabric – cotton, linen and silk – in any possible combination.
Patchwork technique that was once only famous amongst the poor farmers became excessively fashionable amongst the rich merchant class too.
Originally, the yosegire_kimono started as the preservation and extension of the life of valuable fabrics eventually becoming a fashionable pastime amongst women of the nouveau rich in 19th century Japan for making kimonos as well as other household decorative items like screens and furniture covers.
While the origin of certain techniques and methods in textiles like satin_stitch 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 Zay 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 (couching) and thread knotting techniques (macrame), or flat metal adornment (talli), that are quite similar to those found in different parts of the Arab region.
The kimono, in particular, displays similarities that can be drawn with the pattern of Arab women’s overgarment or the (thawb), 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 kimono.
In this particular model, there is an additional aspect to that similarity, for patching was traditionally applied on Gulf dresses, when rare fabrics were reserved to prominent sections such as the large gusset (bat) on overgarments (athwab) as is the case in (ZI1990.50071 KSA) and many others. Moreover, it is considered the antecedent to paneling used on overgarments such as (mfahah), (myarah), or (myaza’), seen in (ZI2018.500180 UAE) or (ZI1984.50025 UAE) and many others.
More Info
Katazome is a traditional Japanese textile printing technique that utilizes stencils to create intricate and detailed designs on fabric. The word “katazome” translates to “stencil dyeing” in English, and the technique involves creating a stencil out of paper or other materials and then applying a resist paste to the fabric through the stencil. Once the paste has dried, the fabric is dyed, and the areas where the resist paste was applied remain undyed, creating a pattern on the fabric.
Katazome stencils are typically made using a combination of hand-carving and off late machine-cutting techniques. The stencils themselves can be highly detailed, with intricate designs and patterns that can take weeks or even months to create. The resist paste used in katazome can also vary depending on the desired effect, with some pastes being more resistant to dye than others.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), katazome became a popular art form among the common people in Japan, and various regional styles of the technique emerged. In addition to clothing, katazome was used to create a wide range of household items such as curtains, bedding, and tablecloths. The intricate designs and vibrant colours of katazome made it a highly sought-after craft, and the popularity of the technique continued to grow.
Links
- Morishima, Yuki, et al. Kimono 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. USA, E P Dutton, 1989.
- Dalby, Liza Crihfield. Kimono: Fashioning Culture. Reaktion Books, 1993.
- Gluckman, Dale Carolyn and Sharon Sadako Takeda. When Art Became Fashion: Kosode in Edo-Period Japan. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1996.
- Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk. 27 Aug. – 25 Oct. 2020, V&A South Kensington, London https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/kimono-kyoto-to-catwalk
- Gluckman, Dale Carolyn. “Liza Dalby. Kimono: Fashioning Culture.:Kimono: 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 From HALI 184 – HALI.” HALI, 24 July 2015, hali.com/news/meisen-kimono.
- Kimono Style: Edo Traditions to Modern Design: The John C. Weber Collection. USA, Met Publications, www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Kimono_Style
- Kimono Refashioned. 8 Feb. – 5 May, 2019, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/kimono-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.” 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: A Modern History.’” Reviews in History, School of Advanced Study, 2015. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14296/rih/2014/1787.
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