Yesterday, I went with a friend to the exhibition “Secrets of the Kimono
The Advent of Yuzen Dyeing” currently on at the Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto. Besides numerous kimono created from the Edo period until today, they had maybe 50 “pattern books” from around 1700.
Those are woodblock prints showing kimono designs, and people could use them to order a kimono. All of them were in black and white and didn’t have a huge amount of detail. Many of them had a design centered on plants or floral design.
And my friend could name most of these! For somebody like me who barely knows roses from chrysanthemums, that’s absolutely impressive. If you want to try as well and you’re in Kyoto, the exhibition is until September 15.