This dramatic summer kimono exemplifies the bold aesthetic experimentation that characterized Japanese textile design during the interwar period, presenting stylized wave motifs that push the boundaries between traditional symbolism and modernist abstraction. The garment features sweeping, undulating forms in vibrant coral-red against a deep charcoal ground, creating a striking visual rhythm. These waves, rendered with remarkable scale and simplified into flowing bands punctuated by spiral flourishes, demonstrate the influence of Art Deco's emphasis on streamlined, rhythmic forms and bold color contrasts.

The silk and rayon blend fabric speaks to the period's embrace of new materials and manufacturing techniques, allowing for the creation of textiles that could achieve both the lustrous quality of traditional silk and the durability and affordability that modern synthetic fibers provided. The closeup image reveals the sophisticated weaving structure that creates subtle textural variations within the wave motifs, where the interplay of different fiber types produces varying degrees of light reflection and surface interest. The wave pattern itself carries deep cultural significance in Japanese aesthetics, symbolizing strength, resilience, and the eternal cycles of nature, but here these traditional meanings are filtered through a distinctly modern sensibility that prioritizes graphic impact and visual boldness. The design's emphasis on large-scale, flowing forms and its dramatic color palette reflect the broader cultural shift of the 1920s and 1930s toward more expressive, individualistic modes of artistic expression, even within the traditionally conservative realm of kimono design, creating a garment that bridges ancient symbolic traditions with the progressive spirit of its contemporary moment.

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Measurements:  48 inches from sleeve-end to sleeve-end and measures 59 inches in height (122 cm x 150 cm).

This artwork is featured on page 198 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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