Tagasode Screens: The Kimono as Painting Theme

Popular since the early Edo period, tagasode (literally 'whose sleeves?') paintings depict kimonos and other traditional Japanese garments hung over clothing racks or folding screens in a room, never revealing the wearer. This style was intended to invoke a sense of mystery and force viewers to imagine what kind of person might wear the depicted clothes. The Kimono as Painting Theme centres around three such highly decorative works, which are complemented by so-called bijin-ga ('paintings of beautiful women') pieces. Anyone interested in Edo aesthetics and garments will surely find this one fascinating.