Art Institute of Chicago

Summer Kimono (Hitoe)

Japan

Date

About 1900–1916

Medium

Silk, plain weave self-patterned by rows of gauze crossings (yoko-ro); resist- dyed (shibori) and stenciled (kata yûzen-zome)

Culture

Japan

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This hitoe (an unlined summer kimono) is patterned with leaves and water irises, a traditional Japanese motif. The use of bold colors, stylized natural forms, and curvilinear renderings alludes to the possible influence of Art Nouveau. The layered textures from both the gauze weave and the resulting undulation of the shibori technique contrasts with the flat stenciling technique applied to the surface, giving the appearance not of the actual flowers, but of their reflection in rippling water.

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