Ao Kutani, furisode kimono; Unicorn victory, obi sash and accessories
(2017-2024)
Medium
inkjet print on polyester (kimono), silk, polyester, gold thread (obi sash), silk (obijime braided cord), silk, polyester, gold thread (obiage fabric), polyester, polyester film (haneri collar), leather, vinyl, metal studs (zōri sandals)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Cecilie Hall, 2025
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
In a studio located in what was once Tokyo’s legendary courtisan district, Yoshiwara, Rumi Rock produces kimono imbued with the spirit of the Edo period (1600–1868). This furisode (long-sleeve kimono) is designed for a young woman attending her coming-of-age cermony at the age of twenty. The kimono features a design of flowers and geometric patterns in colours that are the hallmark of rare old Kutani porcelain ware. Production of such wares was suddenly and mysteriously halted in the early eighteenth century after only fifty years. The kimono’s auspicious design is combined with an obi sash featuring a European unicorn, imparting a cross-cultural mythical power.