Bolt of cloth for boy’s kimono

Collections
1600953
Title
Bolt of cloth for boy’s kimono
Year/Period
Showa period, circa 1930s
Region
Japan
Dimension
Object size: 36.6 x 576.0 cm
Accession No.
2024-01312
Credit Line
Gift of Chris Hall.

This bolt of cloth would have likely been used for a boy’s kimono. In the 1930s and 40s, these garments were often patterned with motifs relating to the real world. Here, puppies and toys are juxtaposed with fighter planes and guns. They reflect Japan’s militaristic ideologies in the early 20th century and the nation’s rise as an imperialist power in East Asia.