google-site-verification: google615fe10ab62068fe.html
This striking hitoe kimono exemplifies the intersection of traditional Japanese textile arts with modernist design sensibilities that emerged during the interwar period. The textile features bold geometric motifs that appear as stylized cross or plus-sign formations, arranged in a grid-like pattern across the deep burgundy silk ground. These motifs are rendered in contrasting colors - golden yellow and pale pink or silver - using supplementary silk and metallic threads that create textural depth and visual interest.
The geometric patterning strongly evokes the Art Deco movement, which was influential in Japan during this period as part of the broader cultural exchange between East and West in the 1920s and 1930s. The clean lines, repetitive geometric forms, and bold color contrasts align with Art Deco's emphasis on modernity and industrial aesthetics. The motifs themselves suggest a modernized interpretation of traditional Japanese design elements, possibly drawing from architectural or craft traditions while reimagining them through a contemporary lens.
The cross-like forms could carry multiple symbolic meanings within Japanese cultural context - they might reference traditional family crests (mon), architectural elements, or even suggest protective talismans. The systematic repetition of these forms across the textile creates a sense of rhythm and movement that transforms what could be static symbols into dynamic visual elements. The detail images reveal the sophisticated construction technique, showing how the supplementary threads are worked to create raised, tactile surfaces that would have added both visual and physical richness to the garment when worn.
It measures 49 inches (124 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and stands at 57 inches (145 cm) in height.