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Introduction

Nuance in Nature

Birds and Flowers in Japanese Textile Design
February 16 - July 8, 2007

Bird-and-flower imagery is part of a long and evolving design tradition in Japan. The Japanese reverence for the natural world has its roots in ancient Chinese belief systems that mixed with the animism of Japan’s indigenous Shintō religion and the later influence of Buddhist practices from India and China. A vocabulary of literary and visual symbols based on observation of nature from an aesthetic standpoint came to the fore during the Heian period (794-1185). Birds and flowers became the most popular design motifs for cloth during the Muromachi (1338-1573) and Momoyama (1573-1603) periods and provided a rich and complex stock of motifs originating from Heian poetry and courtly traditions.

Since first becoming part of Japan’s cultural awareness, these designs have been used to mark auspicious events, celebrate the turn of the seasons, indicate rank and nobility, and manifest beauty and refinement. They are fully understood by the entire society and bestow poetry and magic upon the textiles associated with ritual and folk practices and celebrations such as the turning of the lunar new year and weddings, as well as everyday dress.

Japanese textiles integrate both abstract and figurative elements, and the resulting designs are narrative in quality. Japanese art carries as clear a message and meaning as written language. Like kanji, the Chinese characters that are part of written Japanese language, the visual elements combined in a textile design communicate much more than the mere objects they mimic. This results in a remarkable ability to use complex ideas as the basis for compositions on textiles that are clear in meaning, strikingly rendered, and powerful.

The Japanese use of a character-based (kanji) language would seem to have influenced the art and design culture, enhancing the richness of meaning the Japanese extract from visual symbols on clothing and textiles.

Unlike in the West, there are no hierarchical distinctions among the arts in Japan. The artist who designs cloth was and is the equivalent in status of a master ceramist or painter.

Selected Objects

Japanese Edo, Japan

Textile fragment, probably 1700s

Japanese, Japan

Court robe (furisode), 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Katagami (pattern paper), stencil, 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Apparel fabric, ca. 1945

Japanese, Japan

Apparel fabric, ca. 1945

Japanese Edo, Japan

Nō theater costume (kariginu), 1800-1850

Japanese, Japan

Textile, 1900s

Japanese, Japan

Child's kimono, 1900s

Japanese Meiji, Japan

Towel (tenugi), 1800s

Japanese Meiji Edo, Japan

Wrapping cloth (fukusa), ca. 1860

Japanese, Japan

Towel (tenugi), 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Apparel fabric, early 1920s
No Image Available

Japanese Edo, Japan

Sample book, 1700s

Japanese Edo, Japan

Nō theater costume (karaori), late 1700s-early 1800s

Japanese Edo, Japan

Katabira (unlined summer kosode), 1750/1850

Japanese, Japan

Katagami (pattern paper), stencil, probably 1800s

Japanese Meiji, Japan

Kimono (furisode), late 1800s-early 1900s

Japanese Edo, Japan

Textile, 1700s

Japanese Meiji, Japan

fabric length; textile length, 1880-1910

Japanese Edo, Japan

Wrapping cloth (fukusa), ca. 1800

Japanese Edo, Japan

Textile, 1800-1849

Japanese Edo, Japan

Kimono (furisode), ca. 1820

Japanese Meiji, Japan

Wrapping cloth (fukusa), ca. 1865

Japanese Edo, Japan

Cloth wrapper (fukusa), 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Nō theater costume (nuihaku), 1750-1800

Japanese, Japan

Kimono (katabira), early 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Towel (tenugi), 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Kosode fragment, 1800s

Japanese, Japan

Bridal kimono (furisode), ca. 1945

Japanese Edo, Japan

Textile fragment, 1700s

More objects +

Exhibition Checklist

Nuance in Nature : Birds and Flowers in Japanese Textile Design

February 16 - July 8, 2007
View Checklist PDF

RISD Museum

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