I have started to collect Japanese Netsuke carved figures. They are a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono. They don’t have pockets!
With that in mind, l was excited to hear that The Museum of East Asian Art has announced its new exhibition will be Kimono: The Making of a Cultural Icon which will run from 5 July 2024.
The exhibition is in two halves: the first is a collection of 25 Japanese woodblock prints that follow the change in styles of the kimono, from a time when it was only worn by the elite to its influence on fashion designers today.
The second half celebrates the accessories associated with kimono wearing which are hung from the belt: small, exquisitely detailed carvings called netsuke, and lavishly decorated boxes called inro.
In the centre of the gallery will stand a beautiful 1920s red silk Kimono embroidered with flying cranes and pine trees.
The collection of prints, on loan from The Ezen Foundation, aims to chart the changes in kimono style through a series of brightly coloured and highly detailed woodblock prints dating from the 1820s to the 1950s. They show lavish, multi-layered, imperial kimono only available to an elite few, the early influence of western styles, kimono worn by musicians and dancers, and those attending tea ceremonies.
The exhibition also looks at the many laws that have governed the wearing of kimono in the past such as seasonality of kimono patterns, age and status related restrictions, and decoration.
The display of some 50 accessories that were essential in the wearing of kimono, particularly amongst men, has been made possible thanks to a generous loan from The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro.
As kimono don’t have pockets, small compartmentalised boxes were made to allow the wearer to keep things like money, tobacco or medicines on their person. These boxes were called inro, the making of which became a celebrated art form.
The exhibition includes lacquerware inro lavishly decorated with gold dust and set with mother of pearl, a box carved to realistically resemble a tortoise, and one covered with inlaid flying cranes similar to the ones in flight across the red silk kimono on display next to it.
Netsuke are the toggles at the top of the cord that holds the inro together and prevents it falling from the waistband where it is worn. On display are a selection of 38 miniature, intricate carved netsuke dating from the 1700s to 1900s.
These include animated animals and mythical beasts, characters from Japanese folklore and delicate studies of working people most carved with 360° of exquisite detail.
“The detailed carving of these objects defies belief” said the exhibition’s curator Michael Harris. “Some of the figures, no more than a few centimetres high, are so detailed that you have to get really close to appreciate their wonder.” Several of the carvings feature people wearing kimono.
“The patterning is carved perfectly, every wrinkle, fold and sweep of the material is captured so realistically, they are a joy to see. We are incredibly lucky to be able to exhibit these objects from The Royal Cornwall Museum as it’s the first time they have been shown together outside of Cornwall.”
We are also delighted to be able to show a selection of kimono-related objects from MEAA’s own collection including a rare ceramic inro.
Kimono: Making of a Cultural Icon offers visitors the chance to see the kimono’s changing style depicted in the art of Japanese woodblock prints alongside the ornate accessories that made the wearing of kimono a little more practical and a lot more stylish.
