Kimono

Although it is difficult if not impossible to draw exact parallels between Japanese designs of the Taisho/early Showa period and European designs that influenced them, it must be remembered that Japan in that period was very eager to become “modern” and eagerly absorbed design influences from the West. This piece is almost an exact copy of a Sonia Delaunay design from 1926. The patterns she published based on simple geometric shapes; squares circles, rectangles and diamonds were considered revolutionary and shocking. She was not unique in this period and other designers were creating designs made up of simple geometric shapes in solid colours with no shading.