Vintage Kimono: Medallions & Cartouches

An exceptionally beautiful kimono, made with a fabric that is a superb demonstration of hybridized production methods and international influence, incorporating:

• Abstracted rosettes and medallions, reminiscent of Persian rugs

• Diamond cartouches and stepped borders, borrowed from Central Asian and Russian textiles

• Small floral accents that nod to Japanese tradition, integrated within a global visual language

This piece's internationalism is characteristic of Meisen designs, which became popular in the 1930s, when Japan’s textile industry absorbed influences from European Art Deco, Chinese brocades, and Silk Road ornament.

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PROVENANCE

These kimonos come from the private collection of Christine Ong, a Peranakan Singaporean singer and entrepreneur now associated with the preeminent Asian publisher Tuttle. Ong is an esteemed collector of Asian cultural artifacts, including Japanese textiles, which she sources from defunct kimono collectors and tailors in Japan.