Kimono Ensemble with Chrysanthemums

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The 1920s witnessed the rise in Japan of associations of amateur chrysanthemum enthusiasts, and a stand of spectacular chrysanthemums commands the bottom of this kimono, with their slender petals curving dynamically upward against the rich blue ground. On the outer robe, the leaves are embroidered with couched gold metallic threads in circular details that may represent dewdrops and the family crest is resist dyed in white in five places. On the inner robe, the lower section echoes the chrysanthemum pattern of the outer robe both inside and out. The upper section is stitch-resist dyed on plain-weave silk with diagonal bands alternating turquoise and red, each with an incomplete geometric pattern of stylized hemp leaves (asa-no-ha). The vivid colors and the painterly execution of the pattern are characteristic of the Taishō period. A bride wore this kimono ensemble on her wedding day in 1923.

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