Kimono Rakuhoku
The upper portion of this kimono is colored with onion-skin dye while the bottom part displays sinuous lines rendered in gold and silver embroidery. Its title refers to the Rakuhoku (Northern Capital) district of Kyoto, an area known for its magnificent historical architecture and temple gardens. The artist, Moriguchi Kakō, apprenticed with Nakagawa Kason (1882–1967), a third-generation yūzen dyer, learning from him the complex process with more than twenty different steps. Kakō, who became known for his “sprinkled rice paste” (maki-nori) technique, established himself as an independent artist around 1948. He began showing his work regularly at the annual Japanese Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition in 1955, and the government named him a Living National Treasure in 1967. He made this kimono for the Kinki Regional Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition.
Artwork Details
- 森口華弘作 着物「洛北」
- Title: Kimono Rakuhoku
- Artist: Moriguchi Kakō (Japanese, 1909–2007)
- Period: Shōwa period (1926–1989)
- Date: 1985
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Paste-resist dyed (yūzen) silk with metallic-thread embroidery
- Dimensions: 69 3/4 × 51 3/4 in. (177.2 × 131.4 cm)
- Classification: Costumes
- Credit Line: Purchase, John Gandel Gift, in honor of his wife, Pauline Gandel, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.514
- Rights and Reproduction: © Moriguchi Kunihiko
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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