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- Convenor:
-
Aki Ishigami
(International Research Center for Japanese Studies)
Send message to Convenor
- Section:
- Visual Arts
- Sessions:
- Thursday 26 August, -
Time zone: Europe/Brussels
Short Abstract:
This panel discusses the history and social context of kimono pattern books. The three papers trace the history of pattern books, discuss one book's gender structure, and examine the development of kimono dying techniques.
Long Abstract:
The clothes we array ourselves in reveal our societal structures, ideals, technology, and trends. However, kosode hinagatabon (kimono pattern books depicting the precursor of the modern kimono) have been overlooked because they were viewed as resources merely for clothing history. This panel will demonstrate the importance of these books as sources for multiple fields through a discussion of books published from the 17th-20th centuries.
At the beginning of the Edo period the merchant class came to the fore as patrons of culture and consumers. Due to economic stabilization, industrialization, the spread of cotton cloth and improvements to dying techniques, many more people were able to enjoy kosode as fashion statements. The oldest extant hinagatabon, named simply Onhinagata (Design Patterns, 1666) appeared at the very moment kosode were permeating popular culture. Prior to the early 19th century more than 170 different pattern books were published. A hinagatabon typically depicts the back of a kosode along with notes for suggested color, design, weaving and dying techniques. Women used these books both to order kosode and enjoy as reading material. Though hinagatabon printing dropped significantly during the end of the Edo period, these hinagatabon were reproduced in the Meiji period due to a call for new designs and brought about a new era of clothing culture.
The first paper will give an overview of the origin of hinagatabon in the early to mid-Edo period while paying close attention to the images associated with each social class. The printing of Natural History books in Kyoto and Osaka in the 18th century set the stage for the development of hinagatabon. The second paper will focus on the 96 patterns of the Shōtoku Hinagata (Patterns for the Shōtoku era, 1713) and discuss the construction of gender and class in the early 18th century. By comparing hinagatabon and zuan from each epoch, the third paper shows how the techniques and designs interacted. This panel will discuss the social and cultural context of clothing by shining a light on various fields and considering hinagatabon as the locus of information and knowledge about publication, technology, industry, and design.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Thursday 26 August, 2021, -Paper short abstract:
In this paper, I consider that the innovativeness of the Shōtoku hinagata is influenced by illustrated encyclopedic dictionaries of the same period. In addition, through comparing kimono pattern books reprinted in the Meiji period, I discuss the reconnection between Edo and modern culture.
Paper long abstract:
Until the first printed hinagatabon was published in 1666, kimono pattern books for women of noble samurai and wealthy merchants were hand drawn for orders at clothing retailers. The fact that printed hinagatabon were now being published demonstrates that the customer base for kimono had spread to the general public and that the variety of designs was increasing. Though most hinagatabon were published from 1684 to 1705, the Shōtoku hinagata (1713) was a ground-breaking project. This paper will discuss the Shōtoku hinagata through both its innovation and universality. This book was the combined work of the publisher Hachimonji-ya and Ukiyo-e artist Nishikawa Sukenobu. Sukenobu was already famous at the time for shunga (erotic prints and books). The Shōtoku designs are separated by gender and class; noble women, military noble women, merchants, courtesans, and kabuki performers Wakashu (youths) and Yarō (female impersonators). One origin of this conceptualization was encyclopedic dictionaries. After the publication of the Kinmō zui（Illustrated Encyclopedia）in 1666, books of natural history, mostly published in Kyoto and Osaka, showing collections of all manner of things became popular, but it was the collaboration of Sukenobu and Hachimonji-ya that applied this classification to people and presented it as a hinagatabon.
This paper will also discuss the readers of this hinagatabon. Previous research has focused on hinagatabon as mainly practical guides for kimono producers, but it is clear in the Shōtoku hinagata that a different reader is in mind. Hachimonji-ya intended to enlarge its target audience by intensifying the aspect of pleasure reading. Finally, the Shōtoku hinagata was reorganized and retitled as the Shiki no yoso'ohi (Clothing of four seasons) in 1896 and influenced dyeing and weaving books of the Meiji period. It was during this period that classical and Edo period culture reappeared in the arts-and-crafts world and like Ogata Kōrin, Sukenobu's work was being reevaluated. By comparing the Shōtoku hinagata and Shiki no yoso'ohi, respectively from the Edo and Meiji periods, this paper will discuss contemporary reconnection to Edo period culture.
Paper short abstract:
This paper examines the meaning of man-made items featured in men's kimono designs in the Shotoku hinagata (1713). This paper compares women's patterns and illustrations of men's kimono in contemporary books to show the gender ambiguity implied within patterns meant for Kabuki actors.
Paper long abstract:
Clothing in the Edo period reflected the creativity, class, and personality of the wearer. Previous research has focused on connecting women's kimono designs to classical and contemporary Japanese literature. This paper will focus on a new area of design elements: man-made items in male fashion.
In the Shotoku hinagata (1713), the first five categories are women's kimono. Palace style patterns include classical literary themes and castle-topper (high-class courtesan) patterns are filled with objects of art. These images have precedent going back to the first extant kimono pattern book, the Onhinagata (1666). The palace and castle-topper style patterns do contain man-made objects, but they feature books and fans alluding to courtly culture and idyllic scenes of bridges and boats. On the other hand, the kimono in the men's categories depict urban masculine life.
The masculine categories take the reader through two stages of a man's life; from Wakashu (young male's style) to Yarō (actor's style). The patterns also follow a seasonal progression. The initial Wakashu patterns depict New Year's traditions and transition to auspicious designs related to summer pastimes. The final Wakashu patterns depict the clothes and accessories necessary for the manhood ceremony. In the second category, more than half of the Yarō patterns allude to marriage. One image in particular expresses the gender ambiguity of Yarō; a jumble of mirrors. The Yarō is presented via an object that he uses to ready himself for the stage every day, but is also traditionally associated with women. Textbooks for women in the early modern period were called "mirrors," mirrors form part of a bride's trousseau, and other prints by the Shotoku hinagata's author, Nishikawa Sukenobu, depict courtesans viewing themselves in mirrors. This paper will examine the relationship of this pattern to other patterns for women and ukiyo-e.
By considering patterns intended for production and including the category of Yarō, this paper will build on previous research on Wakashu clothing patterns in early modern illustrated books. Moreover, this paper will discuss the meaning of the Shotoku hinagata patterns and how Japanese masculinity in the 18th century was performed through clothing imagery.
Paper short abstract:
This paper will discuss the process by which yūzen-dyed designs and techniques influenced each other by comparing Edo period hinagatabon to Meiji period reprints and pattern designs. In addition to considering the historical background of the Meiji period enthusiasm for new realistic patterns.
Paper long abstract:
The yūzen (paste-resist) dying technique was first established in the mid-17th century and the technique continues to the present day. Various colored dyes are inserted along thin lines of paste to create extremely detailed decorative pictures. Prior to the development of yūzen, kimono had been decorated using embroidery and shibori tie-dye. After this new technique appeared, the level of detail in kimono designs increased dramatically and the customer base spread to include many social classes. The first recorded instance of the term "yūzen-dyed" is in the Genji hinagata (Genji Patterns, 1687). As the technique was well suited for creating picture-like designs, yūzen made many appearances in later hinagatabon. However, in the years leading up to the 19th century, abstract designs of lines and matrices became more popular than realistic images. Hinagatabon publication was discontinued and yūzen became limited to the upper class because it was categorized as a high-class good in the late 19th century.
After the Meiji Restoration, first the capital then the Emperor was moved to Tokyo. To confront this challenging political and financial reality, Kyoto residents decided to reorganize their industry and economy around Kyoto's greatest strengths; arts-and-crafts. Around 1881 new yūzen techniques were developed using chemical dyes and stencil papers (kata- yūzen). The highly efficient kata-yūzen technique could apply dye and paste at the same time. During the same period, there was new demand for designs that went beyond the typified patterns. The customer base spread through the classes due to the emergence of these new techniques and more people were able to buy kimono with kata-yūzen designs. Once again realistic designs were sought after and kata-yūzen and traditional hand-drawn yūzen were classified together. However, since the techniques differ, the designs changed a great deal from the Edo period.
This paper will discuss the process by which yūzen-dyed designs and techniques influenced each other by comparing Edo period hinagatabon to Meiji period full color reprints and zuan (pattern designs). This paper will then consider the historical background of the Meiji period enthusiasm for new realistic patterns.