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The Kimono Shop

Greetings and welcome to the kimono exhibition.

In Japanese, kimono means "thing to wear", but for those of us who have seen them in person, we know that they are much more than just a "thing to wear". Each one is an exquisitely handcrafted work of textile art. Unlike many Western garments, which express style and status through the cut of the garment, kimonos are all made using the same basic pattern. In the world of the kimono, such matters are expressed through sleeve length, color and the motifs that decorate the garment. So, although all kimonos are made to the same basic pattern, with a discerning eye, one can tell many things about the wearer.

I have been collecting kimono for about ten years now and I am pleased to finally be able to present some of my pieces to the community of Ancient Worlds, in the hope that people will enjoy learning something about them.

You can, of course, browse about to your heart’s content and follow your own path, however, I recommend that you start with the introductory posts in the Exhibition Hall and them move on to the actual garments themselves. You may find the Kimono Glossary helpful.

If you would like to leave a comment, please do so in the Guestbook thread.

The kimono images in the exhibition are broken at the moment. Alas, a proper tour is not possible at this time. I am working hard to transfer the images to their new home and I am also preparing new pieces to show to you. Until the images are repaired, if you follow little Utsuri there to the left, she will show you a slideshow of the original photos from the exhibition's Goldfest 2009 opening.

A plaque for visitors (image 148571)

Coding assistance kindly provided by Jia Li Shen Chi
Except where noted, all photography and graphics are by Shibori Murasaka.
Main image of the woman in the kimono is by the artist Chen Cheng-po and available through Wikimedia Commons