Base fabric: meisen silk, heiyo-gasuri technique

Size style: Naga-haori

Family crests (mon) present: none

Dimensions: 50 inches (127 cm) from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and 37 inches (94 cm) in height

Vibrant and playful exploration of abstract forms and colors marks this meisen piece. The composition fills with dynamic shapes arranged in a seemingly random yet balanced pattern against a yellow ground. The color palette emerges bold and diverse, with blocks of red, green, purple, and light grey. The overall aesthetic strongly suggests a connection to Western modern art movements, particularly Cubism and Art Deco. The fragmented shapes, overlapping planes, and dynamic composition evoke the Cubist aesthetic, while the stylized motifs and bold color palette resonate with Art Deco sensibilities. This haori exemplifies the artistic experimentation that characterized haori and kimono design in early 20thcentury Japan, where artists eagerly embraced and reinterpreted Western modernism. The design also hints at influences from the Japanese avant-garde movement of the 1920s and 1930s. Artists associated with this movement, such as those in the Mavo group, sought to integrate art into everyday life and explored bold new forms of expression, often drawing inspiration from Western avant-garde movements like Constructivism and Futurism.

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