Kimono: A Modern History

Description

What is the kimono? Everyday garment? Art object? Symbol of Japan? As Terry Satsuki Milhaupt explains in this book, the kimono has served all of these roles, its meaning changing across time and with the perspective of the wearer or viewer. Kimono: A Modern History traces the transformation of the Japanese garment from everyday attire to National symbol, exploring the historic and contemporary use of this enduring cultural legacy.

Terry Satsuki Milhaupt (1959-2012) was an independent art historian, guest curator, and internationally recognized expert on Japanese textiles based in New York. She contributed essays to numerous exhibition catalogs and publications such as the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion.

"This completely fascinating social history of a single type of garment over three centuries is also the story of a culture in the process of transformation. . . . [The book] is a beauty."-- "New York Times" "Kimono stands apart as being thoroughly researched, extensively illustrated, and packed with facts about the history of the kimono never before made available to the English reader. It is the new standard-bearer for books on kimono history, and will likely remain so for some time to come."--Annie M. Van Assche "Arts of Asia" "Kimono: A Modern History persuasively challenges the myth of the kimono as a traditional, static garment through a nuanced history of its fashion system from the seventeenth century to present time and sets the scene well for an in-depth look at global kimono fashion from the 1960s to present day."-- "Reviews in History" "The kimono has long been a symbol of Asian femininity and Japan's national identity. In the profusely illustrated Kimono: A Modern History (Reaktion), Terry Satsuki Milhaupt, one of the world's leading experts in Japanese textiles, offers insights into the culture of modern Japan as well as the evolving status of women. . . . Is the kimono art? Is it fashion? It's both, and much more." -- "Boston Globe"