Japanese fashions on show in Worthing

Worthing Museum & Art Gallery is teaming up with the British Museum to exhibit Japanese fashion from the Edo period. Dressed to Impress: Netsuke and Japanese Men's Fashion is a British Museum Partnership exhibition which explores the intricate accessories worn by Japanese men during the Edo period (1615-1868).
KimonoKimono
Kimono

The exhibition will be on display at Worthing Museum’s Norwood Gallery until Aug 25.

Netsuke are a form of Japanese miniature sculpture that were primarily functional, but evolved into an important art form in Japan. They were used by men as toggles to fasten tobacco and medicine pouches to the belts of their kimonos. Men of all classes of society used netsuke, but particularly merchants, who wanted to demonstrate their style and financial status through their fashion accessories.

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This exhibition features five netsuke, chosen from over 2,300 netsuke in the British Museum’s collection. The beauty of these objects is in their individuality and is reflected in the variety of the netsuke on show, a Chinese couple playing a flute, a goldfish, a turtle, a sleeping rat and a Chinese boy holding a lion mask. In addition to the group of netsuke, an inro (a case for holding small objects), a sword, and smoking accessories will also be on display.

The exhibition places the netsuke and other objects in context with a bespoke male kimono to demonstrate how they were worn as a complete outfit in the 18th century.

To accompany these objects on display from the British Museum, Worthing Museum is also exhibiting an assortment of items from their collection, including a Japanese sword, wood block prints by Toyo-Kuni, a kimono and a selection of netsukes.

As part of the exhibition, there will also be various Japanese-themed family-friendly workshops taking place at the museum from May 29 to August 10 which include decorating a parasol, making lanterns, pocket sculptures and various traditional Japanese crafts.

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Emma Walder, Worthing Museum & Art Gallery art curator, said: “It’s great to be working in partnership with the British Museum, and we feel honoured to be displaying their selected items here in Worthing. We rarely have the opportunity to display the limited selection of Japanese items we have in our collections, and I am looking forward to seeing the prints by Toyo-Kuni and the amazing netsukes that have been in our archives.”

Maria Bojanowska, at the British Museum, said: “The British Museum is delighted to be working with Worthing Museum & Art Gallery for the first time as the final venue of this partnership touring exhibition. It is wonderful that the exhibition has provided Worthing Museum with the opportunity to display these beautiful objects that would otherwise be in storage.”

For other stories by Phil, see: https://www.chichester.co.uk/author/Phil.Hewitt2

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