Donations & Collaborations with Corporations and Organizations

Oyama Yuzuruha (Chief Curator of Decorative Arts, Tokyo National Museum)

According to records bequeathed to our museum, the Korin Kimono was purchased by the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum (Tokyo National Museum’s predecessor) during the Meiji period (1868–1912). It came with a document attesting to its provenance. This document states that the garment originally came with no lining, just the outer fabric. A lining was then attached and the garment mounted as a kimono for display.
When I first exhibited the Korin Kimono, I was shocked by how damaged it was compared to photographs I had seen. The autumn flower pattern had such a graceful beauty when viewed from a distance, but a closer view revealed how the white lining had been sewed in using a ragged plain stitch in a manner almost reminiscent of the quilting on a traditional Japanese farming jacket. This plain stitch dates back to when the garment was mounted as a kimono after entering the museum’s collection, but the extensive application of large white threads ended up obscuring Ogata Korin’s brushwork. The fragile silk ground had also suffered wear and tear over the garment’s 300-year history. It can still be exhibited today, but the plain stitch on the outer fabric is too strong and it is clear the silk ground will only grow weaker if no action is taken.
This is the only fully-intact garment featuring a pattern drawn by Ogata Korin. We now need to begin the necessary repair work to ensure the Korin Kimono can be passed down through the next 100 to 200 years.