Kimono with Pheasants amid Peonies
Not on view
Vividly colored pheasants and peonies appear against a ground that graduates delicately from light brown at the top to beige at the hem. The depiction of pheasants amid the “king of flowers,” as peonies were known in East Asia, has a long history in Japanese pictorial arts and is associated with summer. The auspicious peony motif originated in China and arose in Japanese decorative arts in combination with long‑tailed birds.
Here, the rocks, birds, and pink‑ and apricot‑colored flowers on the front of the formal kimono nearly merge at the back, in a modern rendering of a classical pattern. The realistic depictions of natural forms reflect the influence of Western oil painting, a contemporaneous trend in kimono fashion.
On view from March 8, 2021–August 8, 2021
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