Taishō Art Deco Style Kimono

A brightly colored women's silk kimono from the Taishō period.

• When Art Deco was introduced to the world at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925, this new style flourished in Japan in book design and illustration, applied arts and pattern designs. Illustrative material and art magazines brought back by Japanese artists studying in the West provided inspiration. In Japan, Art Deco took on another dimension, and the old designs seen in traditional crafts were fused with contemporary Western designs.
• The kimono mimics the zigzag geometry of Art Deco design, as well as the multiple perspectives of Cubism made with the Meisen technique.
• Incorporating two modern art styles and a traditional Japanese design; Art Deco was largely based in Cubism, so to see them combined is not surprising. The triangle of flowers is a common Japanese design on kimonos, however, the style of the flowers is Art Deco, as are the colors.
• Typical of the period and style, this kimono’s architectural surface design reflects the Art Deco detail used on the most design-forward buildings of the era, such as The Sinclair Building designed by architect Wiley G. Clarkson in Fort Worth, TX in 1930.

Modesto Art Museum, Modesto, California, March 19–April 27, 2014

“Modern Design, Traditional Forms,” Tanabe Gallery, Portland Oregon, December 2019-January 2020