This striking summer kimono exemplifies the sophisticated aesthetic of early 20th century Japanese textile design, presenting an bold interpretation of tropical botanical motifs against a vibrant turquoise ground. The composition features dramatically oversized banana leaves (basho) rendered in soft coral pink and sage green tones, their naturalistic forms creating sweeping diagonal movements across the garment that demonstrate the influence of Western Art Nouveau's organic flowing lines merged with traditional Japanese decorative sensibilities. The leaves are painted with remarkable attention to their natural structure, showing the characteristic splits and tears that occur in banana foliage, while delicate dragonflies (tonbo) punctuate the design as small jewel-like accents, their forms enhanced with metallic foil that would catch and reflect light as the wearer moved.

The artistic approach reflects the Taishō period's embrace of bold color combinations and simplified, modernist forms that departed from the more complex pictorial narratives of earlier kimono design. The use of hitoe construction - a single-layer silk appropriate for summer wear - allowed for the translucent quality that makes the colors appear to glow with inner light, while the integration of horizontal silver threads creates subtle textural contrasts that speak to the period's experimentation with mixed media approaches. The banana leaf motif, while not traditionally Japanese, represents the era's fascination with exotic imagery and suggests prosperity and abundance, while the dragonflies carry traditional associations with courage, strength, and happiness. This synthesis of Western tropical aesthetics with Japanese craftsmanship techniques creates a garment that embodies the cosmopolitan spirit of Japan's rapid modernization period, when traditional arts absorbed international influences while maintaining their distinctive cultural identity.

It bears a single finely-embroidered family crest, despite several dye stains. The garment measures 50 inches (127 cm) across the sleeves and standing at 58 inches (147 cm) in height

This artwork is featured on page 112 of Art Kimono: Aesthetic Revelations of Japan, 1905-1960. This book, published by Yorke Antique Textiles, can be previewed or purchased on our website here.

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