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Clothing and Textiles


Clothing and Textiles



4,626 photos
'Woman at her morning toilette', Japan, Edo period, c1800. Hanging scroll painting of a married woman engaged in her morning toilette. Her gaze is caught by the beauty of a potted morning glory. Her straight back topped by the rounded marumage hairdo forms a strong triangular composition with the plant, the copper water bowl and porcelain dish with toothbrush and mouthwash to the right. Utamaro was particularly skilled at using the patterns of textiles to indicate the shapes of bodies beneath; the lines of the checked blue outer-kimono suggest convincingly the woman's bended knee. The rougher blue and white checks of the under-kimono and towel give variety to the range of textures. The touches of red, especially around the naked knee, give a sensuality that is rarely missing from the works of Utamaro, a master at catching the moods of his female subjects, often in the more private moments of their lives. JA, JP ADD380 (1965.7-24.04)
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'Woman at her morning toilette', Japan, Edo period, c1800. Hanging scroll painti...

'A sage pointing at the moon', Japan, Edo period, 1817. This smiling sage reclines while pointing to the full moon. At his side is a drinking vessel and what appears to be some paper or a scroll. In the second half of the Edo period, especially during the Bunka era and the Bunsei era, there was a fashion for emulating the sophisticated tastes of the bunjin (literati). Wealthy admirers would ask well-known artists and calligraphers for examples of their work, which they collected in albums or mounted on folding screens for contemplation at their leisure. Calligraphy and painting parties (shogakai) became increasingly popular, where a paying audience could watch artists work, and request pieces for a fee. This album contains only works in the literati style, which dominated the shogakai. JA, JP ADD518 (1973.2-26.0106.1)
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'A sage pointing at the moon', Japan, Edo period, 1817. This smiling sage reclin...

Princess Takiyasha summons a skeleton spectre to frighten Mitsukuni, Edo period, Japan, c1844. The princess is reciting a spell written on a handscroll. She summons up a giant skeleton which comes rearing out of a terrifying black void, crashing its way through the tattered palace blinds with its bony fingers to menace Mitsukuni and his companion. Princess Takiyasha was the daughter of the provincial warlord Taira no Masakado who tried to set up an 'Eastern Court' in Shimôsa Province in competition with the emperor in Kyoto. However, his rebellion was put down in the year 939 and Masakado was killed. After his death, Princess Takiyasha continued living in the ruined palace of Sôma. This print shows the episode from the legend when the emperor's official, Ôya no Mitsukuni, comes to search for surviving conspirators. JA, 1915.8-23.0915-16
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Princess Takiyasha summons a skeleton spectre to frighten Mitsukuni, Edo period,...

Ainu men seal catching, from 'Scenes of Daily Life of the Ezo', early Meiji era, Japan, c1870. Two men row the boat while a third aims a harpoon at the seal. Ezo was the pre-modern Japanese name for what is now called Hokkaidô, the northernmost of the four main islands that now make up the Japanese archipelago. The indigenous race, the Ainu, differ in physiognomy, language and culture from the mainland Japanese people, who fully explored and colonized the island in the late nineteenth century. Paintings by Japanese artists depicting the Ainu first appeared in the later eighteenth century. The artist Hirasawa Byôzan lived for periods among the Ainu and painted many works depicting their lives and customs. JA, JP ADD275 (1948.7-10.08.1)
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Ainu men seal catching, from 'Scenes of Daily Life of the Ezo', early Meiji era,...

Interior of an Ainu hut, from 'Scenes of Daily Life of the Ezo', early Meiji era, Japan, c1870. Depicting cooking utensils on the matted floor, and sacks hanging from the ceiling. Ezo was the pre-modern Japanese name for what is now called Hokkaidô, the northernmost of the four main islands that now make up the Japanese archipelago. The indigenous race, the Ainu, differ in physiognomy, language and culture from the mainland Japanese people, who fully explored and colonized the island in the late nineteenth century. Paintings by Japanese artists depicting the Ainu first appeared in the later eighteenth century. The artist Hirasawa Byôzan lived for periods among the Ainu and painted many works depicting their lives and customs. JA, JP ADD275 (1948.7-10.08.1)
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Interior of an Ainu hut, from 'Scenes of Daily Life of the Ezo', early Meiji era...

An Ainu family, from 'Scenes of Daily Life of the Ezo', early Meiji era, Japan, c1870. An Ainu family outside their hut. Ezo was the pre-modern Japanese name for what is now called Hokkaidô, the northernmost of the four main islands that now make up the Japanese archipelago. The indigenous race, the Ainu, differ in physiognomy, language and culture from the mainland Japanese people, who fully explored and colonized the island in the late nineteenth century. Paintings by Japanese artists depicting the Ainu first appeared in the later eighteenth century. The artist Hirasawa Byôzan lived for periods among the Ainu and painted many works depicting their lives and customs. Traditional Ainu beliefs meant that they never sculpted or painted human images, so scrolls like this by Japanese artists provide us with an invaluable record of a way of life that has now all but disappeared. JA, JP ADD275 (1948.7-10.08.1)
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An Ainu family, from 'Scenes of Daily Life of the Ezo', early Meiji era, Japan,...

A female ghost, Meiji era, Japan, c1871-c1889. She shrieks in triumph as she bears off the severed head. Cutting off a defeated enemy's head was the ultimate sign of victory in battle, but here, she even has blood dripping from her gaping fangs, suggesting she has actually bitten off this head. The ghost glides upwards on wisps of cloud in her shroud-like gown, tearing at her hair and glaring from her green, gold-hooded eyes. This painting demonstrates the artist's fascination with the macabre and the supernatural. This tendency was to a large degree shared by the nineteenth-century Japanese public. Many Kabuki plays of the time were peopled with restless spirits of the dead and live ghost story-telling was particularly popular at the height of summer when a cooling shiver down the spine would have been most welcome. JA, JP ADD1096 (1996.10-10.01)
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A female ghost, Meiji era, Japan, c1871-c1889. She shrieks in triumph as she bea...

A wasps' nest, a wooden netsuke, Edo period, Japan, early 19th century. A perfectly carved wasp alights on the nest. Subjects for netsuke became more and more diverse as the Edo period progressed. All kinds of insects, as well as spiders, were a popular subject. A netsuke is a toggle worn at the end of a cord. A purse or pouch would be hung from the cord. JA, F1084
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A wasps' nest, a wooden netsuke, Edo period, Japan, early 19th century. A perfec...

Ivory statue of a falconer, Japanese, Meiji period, late 19th century. The masterly carving here reproduces every fold of the falconer's costume, the straw of his gaiters and boots, the individual strands of the cord and the soft plumage of the bird. It also suggests the textured pattern of his outer coat. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, many changes occurred within Japan forcing craftsmen to adapt their skills or change trades completely. The new preference for western dress over the traditional Japanese kimono meant that there was no longer a demand for ivory netsuke. The vast new overseas market for traditional Japanese arts and crafts meant that some carvers turned to producing purely ornamental sculptures. This piece was probably made by a member of the Tokyo Ivory Sculptors' Association, which was set up by the government to ensure that such skills were not lost. JA, 1979.7-2.7
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Ivory statue of a falconer, Japanese, Meiji period, late 19th century. The maste...

Triptych by Kunisada Minamoto Yoshitsune (Ushikawa) instructed in swordplay by Tengi Japaqnese woodblock-print
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Triptych by Kunisada Minamoto Yoshitsune (Ushikawa) instructed in swordplay by...

Actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII as warrior Matsuomaru with axe
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Actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII as warrior Matsuomaru with axe

Lady with pipe and tobacco
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Lady with pipe and tobacco