Kimono: elucidating meanings of Japanese textile artifacts for a museum audience

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to create museum texts and educational materials for a textiles section of a major year-long university museum exhibit focused on exploring Japanese culture and aesthetics through works of fine and applied art. Little background information about the textiles was available. A sample of historical Japanese kimono, yukata, and obi in a university collection was examined using material culture and semiotics research methods. The motifs present in the textiles were identified and explored for how the motifs represent values relevant to Japanese cultural practices throughout time. In particular, motifs were analyzed for their noted conveyance of a society’s religious and cultural values. Motifs were predominantly botanical, emphasizing the respect for nature within Japanese culture. Other motif categories present included geometric, animals/insects, cultural/everyday objects, and landscape motifs. 104 individual motifs were identified. Symbolic meanings were examined and interpreted alongside present materials, colors, and techniques. The use of material culture and semiotics research methods for analyzing Japanese textiles is mapped in this study.

摘要：本研究旨在为某大型为期一年的高校博物馆展览的纺织品展区撰写博物馆解说文本与教育素材，该展览以精细艺术与应用艺术作品为载体，探索日本文化与美学。相关纺织品的背景资料极为匮乏。本研究采用物质文化（material culture）与符号学（semiotics）研究方法，对某高校馆藏的日式和服（kimono）、浴衣（yukata）及腰带（obi）样本展开分析。研究人员对纺织品上的纹样进行识别，并探究这些纹样如何体现不同时期日本文化习俗所关联的价值观念。其中重点分析了纹样所承载的社会宗教与文化价值内涵。纹样以植物类为主，凸显了日本文化中对自然的敬畏之心。其余纹样类别涵盖几何纹样、动物/昆虫纹样、文化/日常器物纹样以及景观纹样。本次研究共识别出104种独立纹样。研究结合现存实物的材质、色彩与制作工艺，对纹样的象征意义进行了考察与阐释。本研究梳理了运用物质文化与符号学研究方法分析日本纺织品的完整路径。