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【Highlight of the Exhibition】
Men also had fervor for fashion. There was even a stylebook for men that travelled to Yoshiwara, the center of culture, which taught men to dress stylishly. Meanwhile Edo people favored impetuous men who showed courage. Men who put kimono jackets called hanten ,haori and tenugui reflected the taste of Edo people.
The eyes of the women choosing the comb are indeed very serious.
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●Katsukawa
Shunchō
“ People Coming and Going on the Bridge”
(C. 1781～1801) (will be exhibited in the 2nd term)
A Geisha is wearing short-sleeved kimono with checkered patterns of spring orchid in the kimono skirt. Take note of the angel patterns on the kimono belt.
(will be exhibited in the 1st term)
A woman is wearing long-sleeved kimono with elegant patterns and colors. The white color of her skin is made to stand out by black color of the hood.
●Utagawa
Hiroshige “Famous Places in the Eastern Capital:
Enjoying the Evening Breeze at Ryōgoku”
(will be exhibited in the 2nd term)
Three courtesans are competing for their
beauty. Though they are the courtesans from the same courtesan’s house, their
pattern, fabric and color of the kimono,
hairstyle and even how they tighten their kimono
belt are all different from each other.
As “stars” of the Edo period, kabuki actors and high-ranking courtesans had an enormous influence on people through the fashion that they wore. For example, the checkered pattern called ichimatsu was derived from the pattern of stone path used by kabuki actor, Sanokawa Ichimatsu. In addition, there are many other patterns and colors such as edomurasaki, which were preferred by kabuki actor and hence also loved by Edo people, too numerous to comprehensively list here. Luxurious accessories, hairstyle and the cosmetic treatment that high-ranking courtesans acquired were probably the object of envy for many women in the Edo period. There were trends of “fake turtle shells” and lip painting in layers of bright red color called sasabeni in order to obtain an iridescent color, frequently used by the courtesans.
Even in modern times when various trends swiftly arise and disappear, the kimono continues to attract us. It was in the Edo period when this authentically Japanese fashion flourished greatly. During this peaceful period, not only wealthy people but merchants could also enjoy wearing fashionable clothes. Even with the strict class system, women of merchant’s houses occasionally ended up wearing more luxurious kimono than people in the upper class. Even with the frequent prohibitions of luxurious clothing by the Tokugawa Shogunate to discourage extravagance, people still managed to enjoy fashion through the beautiful patterns of the kimono skirt and the intricate patterns on the reverse side of the kimono. Through the works of ukiyo-e wood-block prints which depict the manner and customs at that time, we can also notice the fact that people in various classes enjoyed wearing fashionable kimono. Ukiyo-e artists often depicted the appearance of different ways of dressing by various people according to each seasons and events. They also depicted the particularity of woman toward small objects like chopsticks and the kimono belt. The color and pattern seen in these works of ukiyo-e wood-block prints were full of variety as seen in their hairstyle and make-up. By this, we can understand that the fashion was one of the important elements to decorate regular life as Edo people.
In this exhibition, through the works of ukiyo-e wood-block prints, we will approach the charm of the clothing culture cultivated by the sensitivity of Japanese people. From various fashions of Edo people, it may be delightful for us to even steal some of their techniques of dressing.
A woman devoting herself to putting on her make up. This picture is the example of lip painting in layers of bright red color called sasabeni in order to obtain an iridescent color.
“Introduction to Edo Fashion”
As we enjoy various fashionable small articles in our favor, Edo people also enjoyed them in the same way. Through hair combs to decorate their black hair, collars and kimono belts, which affix the accent for dressing, and even through hoods and washcloths called tenugui and clogs, the people of Edo were particular with their small items.
In the Edo period, people changed their clothes four times a year according to seasonal events like the Boys’ Festival (May 5th) and the Chrysanthemum Festival (September 9th) and the custom of showing the seasonal sense by changing their clothes became widely known. Short-sleeved kimono was ordered on the occasion of cherry-blossom viewing. People went out to enjoy the evening breeze by wearing a cotton kimono for summer (yukata) and enjoyed moon viewing and Japanese bush clover viewing by holding uchiwa (fan) in one hand. And in winter, the hood became a fashion item for the protection against the cold. These works of ukiyo-e wood-block prints tell us how Edo people enjoyed the seasonal change of kimono material and skill required for dressing it fashionably.
Three people are gazing at each other as they pass one another on the bridge. Past the middle of the Edo period, subdued designs such as the striped pattern and kimono with design on the skirt became popular. The man is wearing a purple short-sleeved kimono jacket and short-sleeved kimono with striped patterns. The red color of his kimono belt and sandal thongs make the subdued dressing stand out. Putting the black hood around the neck was also the trend at that time. On his hair, he has a lucky charm of Kameido Tenmangū Shrine. We can see that Edo people also dressed up on occasions with a lot of people, such as the day of a big festival. Not to ignore the fashion of the women. The hairstyle shaped like horizontally long shade of lantern (tōrō-bin) and the black collars put on kimono became the trend at that time. It seems to be that regardless of the time period, young people were always sensitive to fashion.
( Will be closed on 4, 11, 18, 25, 27～30th / May 2, 9, 16, 23rd)
●Okumura Masanobu “Kabuki Actor, Sanogawa Ichimatsu
Operating a Puppet”
(will be exhibited in 1st term)
1, Fashion Leaders of Edo -Kabuki Actors vs. High-ranking Courtesans-
●Introduction ●
April 1st～May 26th, 2011
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