Is the Emperor of Japan mocking the West? When the Imperial family appears at events wearing formal Western wear, does this represent cultural appropriation? This question occurred to me while discussing the Kimono kerfuffle at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. A second question would be why the change in dress? Did any country and its leaders force upon the Japanese the wearing of western clothing? First, some simple observations. Of course the women of the imperial family also wear kimono … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2015
A Kimono (Irouchikake) Scuffle at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
If Claude Monet ever imagined that his 1876 painting “La Japonaise” (his wife Camille in a “Kimono”) would be called racist, he and his fellow painters influenced by Japanese art and culture would be flabbergasted. To make a small correction, the painter’s wife is dressed in an “irouchikake (打掛)”, a gorgeously embroidered and very heavy piece of clothing worn at a bride’s wedding reception. The BMFA is featuring this painting, recently restored, and additionally has on hand similar … [Read more...]
How to Design the Perfect Calligraphy Tattoo?
Most people get ink (tattooed) to identify a specific time or event in their life or a significant aspect of themselves. This can be a simple symbol, words, or a detailed design based on something with meaning. For an English speaker, tattooing using English words isn’t that interesting or creative, so people look for different ways of writing the same word in other languages in the hope of finding something interesting. This is one reason you see many people with Kanji / Hanzi Tattoos. That is … [Read more...]