Summer Kimono with Banana Leaves

1920s–30s

Not on view

Returned to lender

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

Bold, simple, large-scale patterns that seem to burst from a garment’s surface are typical of early Shōwa-period kimonos. The latticelike, diagonal motif of swaying banana leaves evokes a cooling breeze appropriate for a summer garment. This example is similar to a yukata, a casual kimono much like a bathrobe. The ground is kōbai, a fine fabric of silk and cotton with a waffled texture that does not adhere to the skin and is cool to wear. The pattern was executed by a stitch-resist method called tritik, in which the design is outlined with thread that is then gathered tightly to keep the outlined areas from being dyed, a variation of the shibori tie-dying technique. The fabric received the same treatment within each part of the blue pattern, creating a double row of small dots that delineates the veins of the leaves.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

綿紅梅地芭蕉模様着物
Title: Summer Kimono with Banana Leaves
Period: Showa period (1926–89)
Date: 1920s–30s
Culture: Japan
Medium: Kōbai silk with stitch-resist dyeing
Dimensions: 61 × 51 in. (154.9 × 129.5 cm)
Classification: Costumes
Credit Line: Promised Gift of John C. Weber
Curatorial Department: Asian Art