Fine Japanese Calligraphy

The Art of Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase

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[p. 86]

IX. MOVING PAINTINGS

Monsieur B’s Views on Present-Day Styles

“I have seen the kimono used on all sorts of occasions, at wedding feasts, in concert halls, in the foyer of the Kabukiza, on the sidewalks of the Ginza, while shopping and in department stores, and I have discovered that there are in general three trends in the fashions in Japanese kimono today.

“The first trend is the new world note based on city tastes, and it is the standard of fashions in the present-day kimono.

“They show a most advanced tendency to employ to the full the flavour of newness, and when their basic colours, their harmonizing of tints, and their composition are carefully considered, it is found that in them world fashions have been skilfully Nipponized, and they are filled with a freshness expressing the new age. Isn’t the taste of young girls just about confined within these bounds?

“The second trend is the classic tone of pure Japanese taste. The kimono are duplications of the merits of the Momoyama and Keichō kosode or of meibutsu kimono, just as they are without the addition of anything new; for instance, a kimono of thin silk crape approaching a purple blue dyed in a cloud pattern by Hitta dappling with poetry cards embroidered on it

[p. 87]

in slightly dull silver and rich coloured thread, worn with a black obi with a Hōkō withered miscanthus design woven into it, is a great favourite with middle-aged matrons. Even we can well see that this is a pure taste unchanged by the fashions of the age.

“The third trend may be called a provincial taste. Having the characteristics and flavour of the local districts where it is a sideline product made by hand in farm village homes, it is a so-called “vigorous taste,” like Yūki pongee and Ōshima pongee, and seems to be popular with people of fashion. With its special flavour, it is highly interesting.

“The truth is that while I was in my own country, only reading of these things in books and imagining them from the very few examples at hand, I had no idea that colours, patterns and the whole tone were so superior. Till I saw kimono, I never went so far as to think that art could be so thoroughly combined with utility. Even in Paris there is no such combining of basic colours, changing tints and patterns. And it is the beauty of the Japanese kimono, not even enjoyed by the Parisienne, who boasts of the best style and novelty in the world, that everyone chooses for herself the colours and patterns suitable to her age; the child fresh things overflowing with the abundant life of the midsummer sun, the young girl seductively beautiful things like the flowers of spring, and the married woman quiet and rich things like autumnal scenery.

“Even the monotony of having no standard in vogues can be completely broken up by the refined orchestra that plays these complex colours and designs.

[p. 88]

The upper of two photographs: a curved spray of several small flowers, each with a ring of petals around a dark center, with a thin curving stem and a row of round beads at the upper right, lying across a woven band.The lower of two photographs: a flat ornament of several pointed leaf shapes, each outlined with a row of small round beads, joined at a small round center with thin lines running out to the leaf points, lying across a woven band with a soft shadow behind it.
Two kinds of obi-fastener of gold or silver and set with precious stones

“Japanese kimono are really moving paintings.

“In the name of all the women of the world, I would therefore sing, ‘All honour to the Japanese Kimono!’”

[p. 89]

Black-and-white photograph of a large mirror in a pale frame on a low stand, showing a long line of people standing one behind another, all turned to the right, each with an arm stretched forward and a long sleeve hanging from it. They wear patterned garments, the hair is dressed back, and they are barefoot on a dark polished floor. The edge of a pale sleeve shows at the left outside the mirror.
Group of young dancers reflected in mirror

[p. 90]

Black-and-white photograph of girls with short hair cut straight across the forehead, standing close together on a street in front of a wooden doorway; one smaller face shows between the others. Their garments have large flower patterns and wide sleeves, the one at the center is seen from behind with a wide bow at the waist, and several wear tall wooden sandals. Above them a bundle of straw rope with two pale zigzag paper strips hangs from the eave, with thin straws hanging along the edge, and a small pine branch stands at the right beside the wall.
Beautifully adorned young girls join in New Year celebration

[p. 91]

Black-and-white photograph taken from above of several people kneeling in a circle on a dark mat around many small rectangular cards scattered at the center, with hands reaching toward the cards at the lower center. They wear patterned garments and the hair is dressed smooth, and one at the lower right has a cluster of flowers pinned at the chest.
Girls in their New Year best playing at cards

[p. 92]

Black-and-white photograph of two people standing facing each other on a gravel courtyard under long hanging willow branches, in front of a large two-storey gateway with a tiled roof and a wide dark opening. At the left a person in a long garment with large diamond-shaped patches of pale and dark, tied at the waist, stands in profile facing right, holding a small bunch of something in one hand. At the right a person in a dark jacket and a pale narrow skirt, in dark shoes, smiles and holds a pale flat object against the chest.
Spring setting in which classical kimono and modern dress are at their best

[p. 93]

Black-and-white photograph of a huge seated statue with a rounded head covered in small curls, heavy robes in deep folds and the hands resting in the lap, in front of pine trees. In the foreground at the right a person seen from behind, in a long checked dress, a small pale cap and pale pointed shoes, holds a small dark object up to the face. At the left of center, in front of the statue's lap, a much smaller person in a patterned garment walks toward the viewer along a paved path, holding something pale at the chest.
Fashions change but Buddha remains immutable

[p. 94]

Black-and-white photograph of three people sitting on a floor in front of a bamboo fence and small trees. At the left a person in a dark patterned garment sits in profile with the head bent, holding a small pale object in both hands. At the center a person in a garment with a pale sash smiles, turned to the right. At the right a person with the hair dressed back, in a garment with a wide patterned band, smiles. In the foreground lie small dishes and a bowl of round objects on a mat.
Friends’ passing call on fine autumn day (upper)
Black-and-white photograph of a mat-floored room opening onto a garden through tall glass doors, with a curtain at the right. At the right a person with the hair dressed back, in a pale garment with a large pattern, kneels on the mat holding a small bowl and smiling toward the left. At the left three people in hats and coats are at the edge of the floor: one in a round hat and a spotted coat crouches holding a bowl, one in a brimmed hat stands smiling and holds a small bowl in both hands, and a third is partly hidden behind them. A basket with a handle and a cup stand at the lower center.
Charming young girl as hostess offers ceremonial tea to foreign guests

[p. 95]

Black-and-white photograph on open grass under a cloudy sky, with trees behind. At the center a smiling person in a garment with wide sleeves stretches one arm out to the left holding a small object, with two slender four-legged animals with pointed ears reaching up toward them; one stands with its front legs raised against the person. At the right a tall person in a dark brimmed hat, a checked jacket and wide pale trousers stands looking down, the hands held together. Part of another animal's head shows at the right edge.
Kimono in perfect Japanese autumn scene at Nara

[p. 96]

Black-and-white photograph of a person leaning back against a bare tree trunk in a park, seen in profile facing right with the head bowed and the hair gathered at the nape. The person holds a small cup-shaped object in both hands at the chest and carries a folded umbrella in one hand at the side. The garment is pale with large leaf or flower shapes, and the sandals are worn over pale socks. Behind lie a lawn, a path with a curb, a bush, a lamp post and a large domed building in the distance.
Meditations in the Meiji Memorial Park at Tokyo

[p. 97]

Black-and-white photograph of a person standing in profile facing left on a wide open paved square, with a thick fur collar around the shoulders over a dark garment with large pale round flower shapes and thin horizontal stripes. The hair is short and curled. Behind, blurred buildings, a person on a bicycle and a vehicle show across the square, and a thick pillar stands at the right edge.
Fur goes well with the draped lines of traditional kimono

[p. 98]

Black-and-white photograph of falling snow over a temple courtyard, with a large tiled roof behind. In the foreground two people stand side by side under one large open paper umbrella, seen from behind, in dark heavy garments, the one at the right with a pale scarf-like collar at the shoulders. At the left another person in a long patterned garment with a pale collar stands under a dark umbrella with pale round marks, held at the left edge. Beyond, a stone lantern with a snow-covered roof stands at the left, a second umbrella is held above a crowd of people walking in the distance, and a bare tree rises at the upper left.
Worshippers dressed for the cold going to Asakusa Temple in Tokyo

[p. 99]

Black-and-white photograph of three people in a room with a lattice-patterned wall. At the back a person with the hair in a bun stands seen from behind in a garment with a pattern of wavy pale lines, one hand raised toward a tall pale picture on the wall that shows a standing figure in a headdress. In front, two people kneel on the floor and bend over large pale sheets: the one at the left in a garment with large flowers holds a hand to the sheet, and the one at the right in a garment with large pale flower shapes looks down. A dark triangular shape lies on the lower sheet.
Many women study Japanese School of painting

[p. 100]

Black-and-white photograph of two people standing seen from behind in front of a large framed picture on a wall, which shows a hilly landscape of dark trees and bare branches under mountains in the distance. At the left a person with the hair in a low bun wears a garment with large flower and leaf shapes and a wide patterned band at the waist. At the right a taller person in a dark coat and a dark brimmed hat looks toward the frame at the right. Part of a second frame shows at the right edge.
Young lady in colourful afternoon kimono admiring painting at Japan Fine Arts Academy Exhibition