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Meisen Kimono with Stylized Windows

ca. 1950–55

Not on view

This composition of small colorful rectangles on a black ground recalls the illuminated windows of high-rise buildings at night; it also suggests works of Piet Mondrian (1872–1944). It was made in Ashikaga, where many meisen kimonos were designed with modern, abstract patterns. The warps were dyed with five stencils while the wefts were tied-resist dyed. At the same time that synthetic fibers became more popular, kimonos were less frequently worn as daily wear. The flourishing market for Western-style clothing also caused demand for meisen to decline after 1955, and production soon ceased altogether.

Meisen Kimono with Stylized Windows, Plain-weave silk warps with machine-spun silk wefts in partial double ikat (hanheiyō-gasuri), Japan — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Meisen Kimono with Stylized Windows, Plain-weave silk warps with machine-spun silk wefts in partial double ikat (hanheiyō-gasuri), Japan

Meisen Kimono with Stylized Windows, Plain-weave silk warps with machine-spun silk wefts in partial double ikat (hanheiyō-gasuri), Japan

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

黒地窓格子模様銘仙着物

Title: Meisen Kimono with Stylized Windows

Period: Showa period (1926–89)

Date: ca. 1950–55

Culture: Japan

Medium: Plain-weave silk warps with machine-spun silk wefts in partial double ikat (hanheiyō-gasuri)

Dimensions: 55 1/8 × 47 3/4 in. (140 × 121.3 cm)

Classification: Costumes

Credit Line: Promised Gift of John C. Weber

The Met

Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.