Kimono in the 20th Century

3/30/2012 - 3/10/2013
Contact:Center for Cultural Fluency
Location:Pacific Asia Museum - 46 North Los Robles Avenue Pasadena, CA 91101

Hours: Please refer to the website for current museum hours.

Price: $10 for General Admission, $7 for Students

Description: Early in the 20th century, imported Western artistic trends, among them Art Deco and Jazz styles, brought new dimensions to traditional Japanese design and fashion. Kimono in the 20th Century examines various kimono types and fabric motifs, reflecting the ways in which people incorporated these shifting preferences for design into their garments for celebratory events.

These brilliant kimono from the mid-20th century show an array of garment types for various seasons and occasions. Kimono in the exhibition range from the most formal reserved for ceremony to stylish underwear. Literally, the “thing to wear,” a kimono is for Japan a signal of native culture, and communicates dignity, class and artistic sense. The most common type of kimono is the homongi (kimono for visiting), which are decorated with patterns that flow down from the shoulder to the hem. One often sees the homongi at a New Year’s visit to a Shinto shrine or at celebrations of life events such as the first presentation of a baby to a Shinto shrine, a graduation, wedding, or retirement party. This exhibition features examples of all these types in two rotations to reflect the seasons and delight the eye.

Website: http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/_on_view/exhibitions/2012/kimono20.asp