Unlined Kimono (Hitoe)

1926–59?

Unlined Kimono (Hitoe), 1926–59?. Japan, Shōwa period (1926-89). Stiffened silk gauze; 127 x 167.6 cm (50 x 66 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of John C. Weber 2020.430 Unlined robes called hitoe can be worn in the summer to keep cool. Their patterns often include motifs meant to inspire a sense of cool as well, such as water or nighttime. This robe, however, appears to go for the other extreme, seeming to evoke a summer festival atmosphere with its bright red color and bold checked pattern. The checked pattern is often called ichimatsu in Japanese.