Meisen Kimono with Stylized Windows

ca. 1950–55

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This composition of small colorful rectangles on a black ground recalls the illuminated windows of high-rise buildings at night; it also suggests works of Piet Mondrian (1872–1944). It was made in Ashikaga, where many meisen kimonos were designed with modern, abstract patterns. The warps were dyed with five stencils while the wefts were tied-resist dyed. At the same time that synthetic fibers became more popular, kimonos were less frequently worn as daily wear. The flourishing market for Western-style clothing also caused demand for meisen to decline after 1955, and production soon ceased altogether.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

黒地窓格子模様銘仙着物
Title: Meisen Kimono with Stylized Windows
Period: Showa period (1926–89)
Date: ca. 1950–55
Culture: Japan
Medium: Plain-weave silk warps with machine-spun silk wefts in partial double ikat (hanheiyō-gasuri)
Dimensions: 55 1/8 × 47 3/4 in. (140 × 121.3 cm)
Classification: Costumes
Credit Line: Promised Gift of John C. Weber
Curatorial Department: Asian Art