FROM GEISHA TO DIVA ......PART 1

My ongoing research into restoring/repurposing an old family kimono has taken me down many paths and resulted in several distractions!  Close to five years alone have been invested in a fabric search! The distractions, however, have been fascinating and taken me on a journey into new worlds of discovery and learning.  I have finally reached the point where some preliminary
 hands-on work has begun and I am approaching it with some trepidation yet much excitement.

In recent months, my search for information took me, once again, to the Textile Museum in Toronto. I arranged my trip to coincide with a timely exhibition  " From Geisha to Diva, The Kimonos of Ichimaru ".  I thought it might be inspirational and found it to be that and a great deal more.

The exhibit, which was organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria,  explores the fascinating life of Ichimaru ( 1906 - 1997).  This beautiful lady with a very strong sense of self, was one of the most famous geishas of the 20th century and was reknowned for her nightingale-like singing voice. Her story is told via this collection of splendid kimonos and other personal effects.

                                            

                                                          
                                                             ICHIMARU  

Ichimaru left geishahood around 1930 aspiring to a career as a full time recording artist.  She elevated her new musical career by studying music with the best teachers from Tokyo's " floating world" otherwise known as the pleasure district. Diva that she was, she continued to perform in full geisha regalia.  Combining her talents as a vocalist and musician with her experience as a geisha, she went on to international fame and distinction whilst becoming an icon of Japanese popular culture. Adept at adapting to changing mediums, Ichimaru easily transitioned from a popular radio star in the 1950's to a frequent television guest in Japan from the 1960's well into the 1980's.

The magnificent hand crafted kimonos on display revealed her unique style and taste.  It also showed her strong sense of identity and daring, in that she broke many traditional rules regarding the culture of wearing specific clothing items. The exhibit also included ephemera, documentary materials and personal accessories which gave insight into this fascinating woman's life and Japanese culture in general.

Let's take a walk through the exhibit:

                       

                                         This group display was featured in the  
                                     opening room of the exhibit. It was delicately
                               roped off without impeding one's view of the kimonos.

                                                    

                                A semi-formal kimono known as a " Homongi "
                                       Made of silk crepe with gold threads


                                              

                                        Young Ichimaru playing the shamisen


                         

                                                        Four obis on display.

 An obi is a sash for traditional Japanese dress, both for men and women
and worn as part of the kimono.  There are names for specific types of obis and there are many of them.  In addition, there are ten ways to tie an obi and different types of knots suited to specific occasions and the type of kimono being worn. The most colourful obis are usually worn by unmarried women and a fancy occasion obi can cost more than a complete outfit.

                                                   Close up of the wisteria obi
                                                made in a Tsuzure weave with silver
                                            thread. The technique is from the Kyoto
                                                      region of Japan.                      
                                                       
                                                                                                   

                                       

 

                                                 Semi Formal Kimonos

                                                             

                                         Semi formal kimono called a furisode,
                                  which literally translates as " swinging sleeves "

 The furisode is distinguishable by it's long sleeves which range from 85 cm to 114 cm and the garment dates back to the 1500's.  Traditionally, long sleeve kimonos were meant to be worn by young unmarried women. By wearing a furisode, a young woman signified that she was both single and a legal adult, thus available for marriage. This rule was not followed by
Ichimaru who wore them well into her '40s.

                                                             

                                       Close up of silk and goldwork embroidery
                                                     on the above furisode
                                                           
                                                       

 

                                           This dramatic semi formal furisode
                                           had to be my favourite in the exhibit.
It is even more stunning in reality than in the photos. It was the most beautiful quality silk festooned with peonies, phoenix, paulownia and cherry  blossoms, all exquisitely hand embroidered.  It is to be worn with a
bold red obi with a bird design ( which did not accompany it in the exhibit).

                                                             

                                             Detail of the silk embroidery work.

                                                           

    
                                             Close up of the goldwork phoenix

                                                        

                                  
                                           This picture shows the fine gold cord
                                           in more detail and you can see the tiny
                                           stitches used to couch it down.
                                


 There's a great deal more to share so I thought it best to cover this exhibit in two posts so as not to overwhelm my readers with too much visual overload!  Part two will be up within the next day or so. More beauty and information to come!