Current Touring Exhibitions

The 97 kimono in this exhibition portray two important facets: they represent one of the most dynamic periods in the history of Japan's national costume, and they also depict the last historical era of the "living kimono"-when kimono was being worn by the large majority of the populace. But the kimono never lost its appeal; it remained the dominant dress form from the early 20th century until the 1940's, as it took on, little by little, a more formal meaning.  In the minds of the Japanese at this time, the kimono symbolized Japan before the war.  The exhibition includes formal, semi-formal, and casual kimono, haori jackets, and undergarments worn by men, women, and children.  The kimono are drawn from the Montgomery Collection in Lugano, Switzerland, and are featured along with a selection of period photographs on loan from the International Hokusai Research Centre in Milan.