The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg exhibition, “Kimono: The Triumph of Japanese Dress,” showcases more than 100 pieces of decorative clothing, as well as photographs and paintings, and books on kimono design.
The objects come from three separate collections and are on loan from Sue Castner, Peter Kuhlmann and his partner Diane Gilmour, and William Roth, who shared kimonos from his late wife Norma Canelas Roth's collection.
They represent kimonos from the late Edo period toward the end of the 19th century, to the Shōwa period, which ended in 1989. MFA Chief Curator Stanton Thomas said there’s a poignancy to this exhibition.
“One of the really revelatory things for me is the amount of really profound philosophical thought that is in the design of these objects. One of the ones I always mention is the concept of 'mono no aware,’ which is the Japanese concept for things that are ephemeral and yet beautiful, like watching cherry blossoms bloom and then fall. It’s a feeling we all have,” Thomas said.
Jason Wyatt, the MFA director of collections management and co-curator of the kimono exhibition, said it runs the gamut from the delicate and beautiful to the rough-hewn clothing of country workers. Some of which were made with banana fiber.
Wyatt described one of his favorite pieces.
“We have a piece on view that is from the 19th century, and it, the embroidery on it shows a set of books and art supplies. So, this young woman is advertising that she's literate and that she's artistic,” Wyatt said.
Well before the advent of social media, people found ways to get their messages across. Like a tiny kimono for a little boy, that has the tools of war all over it. Wyatt likened it to political ball caps people wear in the 21st century.
And Thomas spoke about the history tied to the outfit.
“You have to keep in mind also, in the ‘20s and ‘30s, Japan was really trying to enter the word world stage," Thomas said. "I mean, they got involved in World War I. They were expanding. They wanted to become an empire. They were successful in that regard. So, of course, political propaganda percolated throughout Japanese culture, and of course, little kids ended up wearing it, male children."
He said it was mostly the men of Japanese society that wore such things.
Some of the pieces in the kimono exhibition haven’t seen the light of day for decades. And they look gorgeous in the show. But they are fragile and that is why visitors are asked to look, but not touch.
There is also a geisha wig made of human hair on display with an intact celluloid hair ornament. The wig is daunting to look at, but was probably more so for the person who had to wear it.
Wyatt said the understructure of the wig is aluminum.
"So it's not comfortable. I fell down a rabbit hole looking online at some videos of wig makers, and they're really hammering it out, and they really jam it on the woman's head," he said.
But does this exhibition represent a changing way of life? Wyatt said you should keep in mind that fashion is always shifting.
“For a long time, kimono wearing was kind of out of favor, and it was only being worn for festivals, special occasions, weddings, funerals. It's going to be interesting to see over the next few years where it goes, because I follow a few people on social media that really promote the wearing of kimono, not just for Japanese people, but for Westerners also,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt also noted that actress Kurumi Nakata, whose husband Tadanobu Asano starred in the recent TV series “Shōgun,” wore a kimono to the Emmy Awards. Wyatt said he’ll be watching to see if that inspires other people to don kimonos.
The exhibition is on now through June 8.
Special events scheduled:
- Sun., April 27: Author Talk with Yuniya Kawamura, 2 p.m.
- Sat., May 10: Ikebana Floral Workshop, 10 a.m.; How to Wear a Kimono with Satomi Hirano – 2 p.m.
- Wed., May 14: Homeschool Hours: Kimono, 10 a.m.
- Sat., June 7: Conversation with a Collector: Sue Castner. 11 a.m.
You can get more information about the exhibition and associated programming here.
The museum is open Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours for Art After Dark from 5–8 p.m. on select Thursdays.
The Museum is a sponsor of WUSF. The WUSF newsroom operates and makes its story decisions independently of any financial support.
