Summer Kimono

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Echigo (present-day Niigata Prefecture) has long produced high quality ramie (choma) cloth, which was used by the Edo period (1615–1868) for the summer clothing of the upper classes. This early-twentieth-century summer kimono may have been made from Echigo chijimi, ramie crépe, characterized by a highly twisted weft. The overall dark blue geometric pattern was done in warp and weft kasuri (ikat). At one time this kimono had long hanging sleeves and was thus a furisode, a form of dress suitable for a young woman.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art