Kimono with Multicolor Lattice Japan, Shōwa period (1926-89)

Kimono with Multicolor Lattice

多色格子模様着物

1930s–50s

Japan, Shōwa period

(1926-89)

Machine-spun pongee plain weave silk (meisen) with resist-dyed threads

Overall: 162.9 x 130.5 cm (64 1/8 x 51 3/8 in.)

Gift of Julia Meech 2020.83

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Did You Know?

Kasuri is the Japanese term for ikat, which means forming patterns with pre-dyed threads.

Description

In the 1900s, silk thread produced by machine spinning made the purchase of fashionable attire more affordable, as mechanization reduced labor costs. This kimono has bright lines that resemble calligraphic brushstrokes forming an abstracted lattice. The threads were dyed with the design prior to weaving, which generates a desirable, blurred appearance in the textile called ikat, or kasuri in Japanese. While abstraction is a key element of the art of calligraphy, and lattice patterns a common motif in Japanese design, their combination in vivid color creates an effect in this traditional garment that was modern for its time.