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The Book of
Kimono: The Complete Guide to Style and Wear. Norio
Yamanaka. Tokyo, 1982. This small book is a good introduction,
describing the traditional types of kimono, how they are worn and
cared for, how they are made, and even kimono etiquette. A brief
history is included. About $28. |
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Japanese Costume: History and Tradition. Alan
Kennedy. Paris, 1990. This book examines the innovations
in design and technique that produced Japanese costumes from the
16th through the19th centuries. Separate chapters are devoted to
the clothing worn by different sectors of society: samurai,
townspeople, actors and Buddhist clerics. Superb examples
illustrate the way the costumes were made, the design elements
and their origins, and the meaning and uses of motifs. 156
illustrations, 110 in color. 158 pages. |
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The Story
of the Kimono. Jill
Liddell. New York, 1989. This is an historic account
of the development of elegant Japanese costumes. The author
traces kimono traditions through Kamakura, Muromachi, Momoyama,
Edo and Meiji periods, carefully explaining the garments'
importance in Japanese culture. The book is illustrated not only
with kimono examples, but also related arts. It also discusses
the kimono in modern Japan. Hardbound, 240 pages,
219 illustrations, both black and white and color. This is out
of print and difficult to find, so look for it in your
library. |
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Robes of
Elegance: Japanese Kimonos of the 16th - 20th Centuries. Ishimura
Hayao and Maruyama Nobuhiko. Raleigh, North Carolina. 1988. Kosode and kosode screens from the
Nomura Collection, now in the National Museum of Japanese
History in Sakura, are illustrated in color plates. This
museum catalog also contains essays by Japanese scholars
outlining the history of the kosode and its gradual
development into the 20th century kimono. Discussions of the
materials and techniques used to achieve a wide range of effects
in the making and decoration of kimono are included. Paper, 246
pages, 90 color plates. Out of print, $35-$70. |
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Japanese
Costume and Textile Arts. Volume 16, The Heibonsha Survey of
Japanese Art. Seiroku Noma.
New York, 1977. This is a history of the development of
kimono art. It focuses on style and kimono aesthetics, beginning
with the rise of the kosode in the 12th century. It has
sections on Noh and Kabuki costumes. There are extensive
discussions of Japanese design concepts, and finally a section on
the techniques used in kimono decoration. Hardbound,
168 pages, 191 illustrations (color and black and white). Out of
print, $30-$60. |
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When Art Became Fashion: Kosode in Edo-Period Japan.
Dale Carolyn Gluckman and Sharon Sadako
Takeda, with contributions from others. New York, 1992.
Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art, this lavish catalogue features kosode
from Japanese collections. The text focuses on different
aspects of the kosode, tracing its evolution, social
role, design, construction, and decoration. Included are 162
excellent color photographs of kosode, obi, and ukiyo-e
paintings. 352 pages. About $60. |
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Four
Centuries of Fashion: Classical Kimono from the Kyoto
National Museum. Norio
Fujisawa, Emily Sano, Yoko Woodson, and Shigeki Kawakami.
San Francisco, 1997. This catalog accompanied an
exhibition organized jointly by the Asian Art Museum of San
Francisco, the Kyoto National Museum, and the Agency for
Cultural Affairs. Short introductory essays present the
classical kimono in historical perspective, while the catalog
entries help the reader understand design development in the
textiles. Paper, 150 pages, 100 plates. Out of print,
about $75.
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Geisha: Women of Japan's Flower
& Willow World. Tina
Skinner & Mary L. Martin. Atglen, PA, 2005. 238
pages, profusely illustrated with over 500 images. This
publication presents a large collection of historic geisha
photographs, most taken from postcards produced between 1900 and
1940. It's an intimate view of these women's public and private
lives, that gives us an excellent idea of the kinds of kimono
worn by these celebrated entertainers. |
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Kimono:
Vanishing Tradition. Japanese Textiles of the 20th Century. Cheryl
Imperatore and Paul Maclardy. Atglen, Pennsylvania, 2001. This
publication has lots of color photos and focuses on the kinds of
kimono most frequently found in today's marketplace. For many of
the pieces, the authors have listed typical price ranges.
Unfortunately, this publication fails to distinguish carefully
between kimono that are mass-produced printed garments and
hand-decorated products that are individual works of textile
art. Hardbound, 256 pages. About $50. |
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| Kimono:
Fashioning Culture. Liza Crichfield
Dalby. Seattle, 1993. This
study of the kimono by an anthropologist traces its evolution throughout Japanese
history to its current status as the national dress of
Japan. Ms. Dalby draws on a variety of period texts,
including fascinating 17th century kimono pattern books, to
demystify the complex social mores connected with wearing
kimono. Her notes on the merging of Japanese traditional
clothing and Western styles in the Meiji period are particularly
interesting. Paper, 384 pages, numerous black and white
drawings. About $18. |
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Jodai-Gire:
7th and 8th Century Textiles in Japan from the Shoso-in and
Horyu-ji. Kaneo
Matsumoto. Kyoto, 1984. For anyone interested in the rich
textile heritage of Japan, this exquisite publication presents
color photos of 136 ancient textile masterpieces from the Shoso-in
and Horyu-ji collections. Both patterned weaves and examples of
patterned dyeing are shown from the Asuka and Nara periods. The
materials and weaves are discussed. The plates are excellent, as
are the commentaries on individual textiles. In Japanese and
English. Paper, 251 pages. Out of print, about $65. |
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| Arts of
Japan 1: Design Motifs. Saburo
Mizoguchi. New York, 1973. This small book surveys
the origins and development of traditional Japanese decorative
motifs from the Neolithic period to the present day. The author
selects motifs representative of each era and discusses their
origins, variations in time, and applications to various art
forms. He shows the cycles of popularity enjoyed by certain
motifs, and the changes of taste revealed by the decline of one
manner of decoration and by the emergence of another. All
media are included. 143 pages; 151 photos, both black and
white and color. Out of print, $20 to $30. |
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Japan
Crafts Sourcebook: A Guide to Today's Traditional Handmade
Objects. Japan Craft
Forum. Tokyo, 1996. This book introduces contemporary
Japanese crafts from all genres--textiles, ceramics, wood, bamboo,
lacquer, paper and metal. A large textile section explains and
illustrates the unique techniques of kimono decoration used
throughout the country. 207 pages. Profusely illustrated. $65-100. |
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| The
Japanese Kimono. Hugo
Munsterberg. Hong Kong, 1986. This small book traces the
history of the kimono from its antecedents twelve centuries ago,
through the Momoyama and Edo periods, up to its contemporary
influence on designers such as Kenzo and Issey. Chapters on Noh
and kabuki robes, religious garments and folk designs are
included. It is an easy-to-read account, illustrated with
important museum pieces. 74 pages, 20 color plates and
many black and white illustrations. About $18. |
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Japanese
Ikat Weaving: The Techniques of Kasuri. Jun
and Noriko Tomita. London, 1982. The various Japanese
techniques of tying and dyeing warps before weaving are
explained in great detail in this small book. The authors
assume that the reader has basic weaving knowledge. Both warp
and weft kasuri techniques are described: Tegukuri Gasuri,
Surikomi Gasuri, Itajime Gasuri, Orijime Gasuri, Hogushi Gasuri,
Kushi-Oshi Gasuri, Fukiyose Gasuri, and Bokashi Gasuri.
Both natural and synthetic indigo processes are described.
88 pages, with numerous black and white illustrations. Out
of print. |
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Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing. Yoshiko
Iwamoto Wada, Mary Kellogg Rice and Jane Barton. Tokyo, 1983.
This exceptional volume explores the methods of producing resist
designs in textiles by shaping and then securing cloth in
various ways before dyeing. Japanese textile artisans have
devised techniques that involve first shaping the cloth by
plucking, pinching, twisting, stitching, folding, pleating, and
wrapping it, and then securing the shapes thus made by binding,
looping, knotting and clamping. This entire family of techniques
is called shibori. Superb illustrations and
explanations thoroughly cover this field, with 104 color and
2908 black and white plates. Paper, 303 pages. About
$35. |
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Japanese Design Through Textile Patterns. Frances
Blakemore. New York and Tokyo, 1978. This small book is
devoted solely to the stencils sometimes used in dyeing Japanese
kimono--the katagami stencils. 198 stencil patterns are
reproduced, along with 50 photos of traditional woodblock prints
showing the patterns in use. 272 pages, with illustrations
in black and white. Paperback. Out of print, about $37. |
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Japanese
Textiles in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Anna Jackson. Photographs by
Ian Thomas. London, 2000. Using pieces from the V
& A's collection of Japanese textiles and costumes, the
various patterning techniques that have been employed by
Japanese textile artists are explored. Details are shown from
garments, bedding covers, gift covers, doorway curtains
and decorative hangings. 150 color plates; 144
pages. About $22. |
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Old Japan
Rediscovered. Hiroyuki
Irifune. Photography by Masaharu Uemura. Tokyo,
2000. A photo collection that presents the
distinct cultural characteristics of the various regions of
Japan. The unique festivals, landscapes, costumery,
architecture and arts are all included in this beautiful
survey. Paper, 168 pages. |
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Matsuri!
Japanese Festival Arts. Gloria
Granz Gonick, with contributions by Yo-ichiro Hakomori, Hiroyuki
Nagahara, and Herbert Plutschow. Los Angeles, 2002. This
profusely illustrated book was published by the UCLA Fowler
Museum of Cultural History as part of their Textile Series. It
describes Shinto festivals and shows the wide variety of
festival costumes still worn in Japan. It discusses the symbolic
meaning of inscriptions on festival jackets, and imagery and
symbolism in festival textiles. Paper, 256 pages.
About $45. |
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Country Textiles of Japan: The Art of Tsutsugaki. Reiko
Mochinaga Brandon. 1986, New York. This small exhibition
catalog gives an excellent summary of Tsutsugaki textiles,
thoroughly discussing their use, the motifs, and the dyeing
techniques. The excellent examples illustrated are primarily
from the collection of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Paper, 151
pages. 48 plates, 16 in color. |
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| Japanese
Country Textiles. Anna
Jackson. 1997, London. This Victoria and Albert Museum
publication surveys the country textiles of Japan--those woven
from cotton and bast fibers, and decorated with a range of
different dyeing techniques. The textiles are examined within
the social, religious, political and economic contexts that
shaped their production. 128 pages, 89 illustrations, most in
color. |
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Beyond
the Tanabata Bridge: Traditional Japanese Textiles. William
Jay Rathbun, ed. Seattle, 1993. Included are contributions by
several specialists: Louise Allison Cort, Mary Dusenbury,
Richard Mellott, Iwao Nagasaki, Cynthia Shaver, and Amanda Mayer
Stinchecum. This is a large exhibition catalog devoted to items
from the Seattle Art Museum. They include a wide range of
Japanese everyday textiles, from all parts of the country.
Paper, 199 pages. 68 illustrations, most in color. |
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Tsutsugaki Textiles of Japan: Traditional Freehand Paste
Resist Indigo Dyeing Technique of Auspicious Motifs. Gensho
Sasakura. Tokyo, 1987. Illustrations of 189 furoshiki,
hanten, yutan, happi, noren, and fukuromono, all decorated
with free-hand tsutsugaki techniques. Very brief text and
captions in Japanese and English. Paper, 178
pages. |
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Japanese Folk Textiles: An American Collection. Fifi
White. Kyoto, 1988. One person's collection of a
wide range of Japanese country textiles. Sections are devoted to
kyogen and other costumes, fireman's garments, paper
garments--kamiko, kasuri and shima, shibori, sashiko,
tsutsugaki, and katazome. Very brief text and
captions in Japanese and English. Paper, 170 pages. 140
color illustrations. |
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| Traditional
Japanese Design: Five Tastes. Michael
Dunn. New York, 2001. This book takes an aesthetic and cultural
approach to the appreciation of traditional Japanese design. A
variety of utilitarian objects, including basketry, ceramics,
lacquer, metalwork and textiles are presented in five areas of
aesthetic taste that describe the essence of Japanese design:
Artless Simplicity (Soboku); Zen Austerity (Wabi); Gorgeous
Splendor (Karei); and Edo Chic (Iki). An introductory section
presents archaeological objects that inspired later design. This
publication was produced by the Japan Society Gallery to
accompany a New York exhibition. Paper, 181 pages, 84
color plates. About $35. |
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The
Kimono of the Geisha-Diva Ichimaru. Barry
Till, Michiko Warkentyne and Jidith Patt. San Francisco,
2006. This small volume illustrates the kimono wardrobe of one
famous Japanese 20th century geisha. It also gives some
background on geisha lifestyles within the context of the larger
world of Japanese culture. 79 pages; both color and black and
white photos. |
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Memoirs of a Geisha. Arthur
Golden. New York, 1998. This popular novel tells
the story of a young girl's training in the rigorous arts of the
Japanese geisha: dance and music, wearing kimono, elaborate
makeup and hair, and the art of entertaining wealthy, prominent
men from the business and political worlds. It describes in
detail the geisha district of Gion in Kyoto, with its teahouses,
theaters, temples and artists' houses. For anyone
interested in kimono, this novel is both enjoyable and
informative. Now a film, produced by Columbia
Pictures. |
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Geisha, A Life. Mineko
Iwasaki, with Rande Brown. New York, 2002. This is an
entertaining autobiography of a prominent geisha who retired not
long back at age 29. This is truly an insider's view of the
glamorous but hard-working entertainer's life in Gion. Her notes
on the place of expensive kimono as both a personal passion and
a routine business expense are particularly arresting. She tells
of purchasing several kimono each week, most over $7000 each! |
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Geisha: Beyond the Painted Smile. Ed,
Peabody Essex Museum. Salem, MA, 2004. This publication
accompanied an exhibition, and is a compilation of contributions
by several specialists on Japanese culture. Each author
considers an aspect of geisha tradition and aesthetics, from
music and dance to misperceptions of the profession by
foreigners. It is illustrated with woodblock prints and
paintings as well as historical and contemporary photos. The
work covers geisha culture from its origins nearly three
centuries ago up to contemporary Japan. |
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