Kimono

1960s

Kimono, 1960s. Japan, Shōwa period (1926-89). Raw silk (tsumugi); ikat weave; 162.6 x 127 cm (64 x 50 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of John C. Weber 2020.424 The simple, geometric, flat design of this kimono was inspired by styles first made popular in the brief but culturally vibrant Taishō period (1912-26). The hand-spun raw silk, tsumugi in Japanese, has irregularities—small nubs—that give the textile a special texture favored by those who prized seeing evidence of the handmade nature of their garments. The pattern of the kimono was created using a hand tie-dyeing method called kasuri.