Kimono and the Colors of Japan

A great reference guide to Japanese color theory as it relates to kimono
This distinctive volume reveals a unique antique kimono collection through various delicate Japanese colors and their use in kimono. The main focus of this book is on the colors of kimono and obi, not their construction or how to wear them. Colors such as “coconut brown,” “horizon blue,” “cupid pink,” and “lamp black” suggest the ways in which Japanese textile artists perceive colors. The pictures on every page are in glorious color to show the delicate color combination of each kimono.

According to Katsumi Yumioka, the collector of the antique kimonos presented in this book, “We organized the kimono and obi (sash) according to what I like to call ‘Japanese Kokoro no Iro’ – the colors of the Japanese heart. Each category presents an example of how Japanese people understand individual colors and what the colors themselves express or signify.” With the knowledge of both Western and Japanese traditional fashion cultures, Yumioka presents and explains his collection to the general reader in an easily accessible way.

Kimono collectors, textile design students, or anyone who enjoys looking at beautiful things will appreciate this book.