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Japanese
Kimono design book, Hinagata bon (c. 1700)
ink on paper, cotton
16 × 9 × 1.5 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Michiko Otani, 2025
Photo: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
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About this work
Kimono in its various forms has inspired artistic creativity in Japan for centuries. The Edo period (1603–1868) saw the publication of the first pattern books, hinagata-bon, in the 1660s. These early works were printed using traditional woodblock technology in black and white, but often included notes describing the intended colour and type of fabric. Practical in nature, they served as both manuals for textile designers and kimono merchants and as catalogues for the discerning customer – primarily members of the samurai and merchant classes. This early example displays a wide variety of popular designs, providing a window into fashion tastes of the mid Edo period.