Nabeshima Kimono

Kimono for a man (kosode), 1760-1810

 

This kimono is believed to have belonged to the lord (daimyô) of the Nabeshima clan, who ruled the Saga Domain on the island of Kyūshū in south-west Japan. Subtle sophistication is a characteristic of male dress. The striking blue fabric is woven with a checkerboard pattern and there is no decoration apart from the crests (mon). The kimono was probably worn with hakama, a pleated lower garment.

[V&A]

 

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk

(February to October 2020)

 

This exhibition will present the kimono as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion, revealing the sartorial, aesthetic and social significance of the garment from the 1660s to the present day, both in Japan and the rest of the world.

The ultimate symbol of Japan, the kimono is often perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging. Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, the UK's first major exhibition on kimono, counters this conception, presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.

[V&A]

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