Kimono – Quai Branly Museum

Yesterday we saw two very fine exhibitions on Japanese fans and kimono.

I’ll start by presenting the Kimono exhibition at the Quai Branly Museum.

As usual, I’m going to give my opinion on the museography, as I find that it’s something that can completely ruin a visit experience. On the whole, the staging was rather successful, but the lighting was sometimes aimed directly at the display cases and made it a little difficult to look at the objects. I liked the shadow play at the beginning of the exhibition.

Kimono fashion flourished during the Edo period (1603-1868), a time of political stability, economic growth and urban expansion in Japan. Fashion became an instrument for displaying status and good taste. High demand from the wealthy classes stimulated creativity and technical progress.

The following image shows three women in front of the Daimaruya Kimono store. In the background, assistants are busy carrying piles of fabric. This kind of print was good advertising for kimono merchants.

We saw preparatory drawings for weaving.

My favorite thing about Japanese prints is the bright colors, and I was delighted to find them on the kimonos. Some were in exceptional condition.

That said, my favorite kimono in the show wasn’t colored at all haha.

The exhibition also featured accessories to go with the outfits.

The exhibition then shows the evolution of the kimono and its spread to the West, as well as its persistence in today’s fashion. Here’s a magnificent kimono that was destined for export.