[JAPANESE 1920s EMBROIDERY PATTERNS]. Ōyō zuan ("Designs for practical use")

Nagoya, Japan: Fukada Zuan Kenkyūjo, 1921. Taishō 10. Very good. Large 8vo (254 x 187 mm). COMPLETE SET of 30 color-printed embroidery patterns, housed in original illustrated envelope with original string fastener. First leaf with considerable foxing, others with very light foxing or offsetting, envelope with a few marks and creases. Overall in very good condition. ECLECTIC "NON-TRADITIONAL" 1920s EMBROIDERY DESIGNS FOR "EVERYDAY" ITEMS, SUBTLY DEMONSTRATING THE TAISHO ROMAN STYLE IN WHICH WESTERN MOTIFS WERE EMBRACED BY JAPANESE "MOGA" (MODERNS GIRLS). THESE JAPANESE YOUTHQUAKERS SOUGHT TO FREE THEMSELVES FROM TRADITIONAL JAPANESE COSTUME AND -- BY EXTENSION -- TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SOCIAL CUSTOM.

Viewed today, the "Taisho Roman" aesthetic may seem somewhat tame but in fact it signaled a dramatic shift in fashion and culture that was fostered by growing liberalism and industrialization during the Taisho era (i.e. 1912-1926). This style is characterized by its "Roaring 20s" reinterpretation of traditional Japanese costume. The term "Roman" here is an abbreviation for European "Romanticism" which was seized upon by Japanese youthquakers of that era.

"In general, Taisho Roman refers to the ideals of romanticism which were expressed by a quirky reinterpretation of traditional culture during this time. Kimono of this decade often featured flowing, asymmetrical designs, with playful and whimsical motifs such as flowers, birds, and butterflies. It was also common to see the use of luxurious fabrics such as silk and satin, and the incorporation of Western-style elements such as lace and embroidery. The Taisho Roman kimono style became known for its bright colours and bold, graphic patterns such as the yabane (arrow feathers) pattern. It was in the Meiji and Taisho period that Japanese embroidery developed by absorbing unique stitches often seen in foreign embroidery." (Carolin Becke, An Introduction to Kimono Styles of Japan's Taisho Period (1912-26): The Taisho Roman Style of Female Students, 2023).

The present suite is rare, and indeed no copies of it can be traced outside Japan. There are thirty leaves of colorful designs to be embroidered onto fashional opera clutch bags, umbrellas, tablecloths, handkerchiefs, and items of "modern" clothing. Each illustration includes a title, the name of the artist, and the prefecture in which the artist lived, and thus is of real value to contemporary fashion historians.