[Kimono Style] Meisen Kimono: Trendy Developments Wealthy with Historical past in Saitama

I placed on one among my meisen kimono to go go to the Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore. It was time for the museum’s meisen kimono present. 

Situated in Omiya Park, the Museum is beautiful in autumn. It is also subsequent to the well-known Hikawa Shrine, which can also be price a wander round.

‘Denims’ of the Meiji Period

The historical past of meisen and its manufacturing, and its place in clothes historical past are very fascinating. At the start of the 20^th century, Japan was busy exporting all of its greatest silk to america and a few to Europe. Silk accounted for a 3rd of Japan’s complete export earnings. So it was an necessary income. 

The silk that was left for home use was of a decrease high quality. However for the reason that Meiji interval (1868-1912), Japan had been importing reeling and weaving know-how from Europe. This was making the manufacturing of silk kimono a lot much less labor intensive and less expensive than earlier than. 

Makers realized the right way to produce a semi-mechanized sort of kimono, which was appropriate for on a regular basis put on. It began out as house put on. However as its recognition boomed, it turned very trendy. 

For its time, meisen kimono may very well be thought of the “denims” of the kimono world. And certainly it’s estimated that not less than 50% of Japanese girls wore them.

Distinctive Techniques of Meisen Kimono

Meisen kimono are a Kanto regional product and the business was essential for Saitama Prefecture. Chichibu (Saitama Prefecture)) is claimed to be the primary place the place the method was developed. However Isesaki in close by Gunma Prefecture additionally makes the declare to be first. 

It was additionally produced in Ashikaga (Tochigi Prefecture), Kiryu (Gunma Prefecture), and Hachioji (western Tokyo). The gathering on show is a part of round 600 objects donated to the museum by the well-known meisen knowledgeable and collector, Kazue Kimura Kazue, who’s a Chichibu resident. 

What is exclusive concerning the manufacturing of meisen is that it’s midway between hand-loom weaving, which makes use of tie-dyed threads, and kimono that are dyed with stencils on white fabric. It makes use of a way invented in Chichibu in 1908 referred to as Hogushiori. 

Initially Hogushiori had been the warp threads that had been all laid out after which dyed with stencils. That they had unfastened diagonal threads by way of them to maintain them in place, as stencil dyeing threads could be very rather more tough than dyeing material. 

After the warps are dyed, the Hogushiori threads are eliminated and the warps are placed on the loom to be woven with the weft. Whereas with hand-loom weaving each thread would have been tie-dyed, this course of is way sooner and allows using extra colours and complicated designs. 

In contrast to woven kimono, which seem the other from the again to the entrance, meisen material is identical on the front and back. This permits the opposite facet of the material for use if the entrance will get soiled.

To Every Their Model

The method turned highly regarded and varied women’ faculties used it for his or her college uniforms. For instance,  Gakushuin Women’ Faculty used Isesaki meisen and Ochanomizu Women’ Faculty used Chichibu meisen. 

Chichibu sometimes used tategasuri, the warps had been stencil dyed. However within the Nineteen Thirties Isesaki began to stencil dye the wefts as properly, in what is named heiyou gasuri, or a double ikat fashion. Isesaki was identified for the thrilling designs that they produced. 

In 1934, Ashikaga launched han heiyou, the place sections of the weft threads had been stencil dyed. There have been additionally yoko gasuri, the place the wefts solely had been stencil dyed. And kawari ori, or Kapitan meisen, which was produced after 1945 in Hachioji and had a patterned weave within the floor in addition to the meisen patterns. 

Chichibu can also be well-known for the tamamushi fashion, which shines like an insect’s shell as a result of the warps and wefts are reverse colours. 

There are 90 kimono within the present. They reveal the differing types and likewise present the totally different kinds {that a} lady might have worn at totally different phases of her life. 

There are additionally posters and magazines on show. Meisen was marketed in many various methods. And there was quite a lot of competitors between makers and malls to supply essentially the most fascinating designs. Magazines from the World Battle II interval present the right way to flip your meisen kimono into pants and padded headgear to guard your self in harmful conditions.

Modifications within the Postwar Period

After the struggle, the business largely turned to creating futons and cushions as fewer folks had been carrying kimono. 

Numerous instruments are on show so it’s doable to see how the material was produced.

Meisen continues to be liked. It’s common in vintage outlets for its uniquely shiny, modern-looking and joyous look. Even yachts, tennis rackets and oil lamps are on the kimono. 

The exhibition ends with items from two workshops which might be nonetheless producing meisen in Chichibu, with silk from silkworms harvested in Chichibu. They’re Arakei and Henmi workshops.

The hyperlink to the exhibition, which runs to December 4th, click on here. To seek out out extra on the workshops, click on here and here. 

RELATED:

Writer: Sheila Cliffe