The Kimono of the Geisha-Diva Ichimaru

by Barry Till, Michiko Warkentyne, Judith Patt

Ichimaru (1906-1997) combined her experience as a geisha with an extraordinary talent as a vocalist and musician to become a unique figure in the social history of twentieth-century Japan. Determined to distinguish herself, she studied music with the best teachers to be found in Tokyo's "floating world," or pleasure district. Ichimaru secured a recording contract in 1931 and never looked back as she won international renown. In keeping with the geisha tradition of elegant dress, Ichimaru accumulated a striking collection of kimono over the course of her long career. After her death, the collection was given to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. In this colorful, well-informed, and satisfying little book, three members of the gallery's curatorial staff tell lchimaru's life story and place it in the context of the floating world and the larger world of Japanese culture. They also provide detailed information on kimono construction, materials, dyeing and stitching techniques, styles and the cultural connotations evoked by those styles, and the secret language of kimono imagery. Color photographs accompany their descriptions, and Ichimaru's life is illustrated with color and black-and-white images.

Genres: Japan

80 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2001

Reviews

[Glennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this listed on someone's list of read books for the year and it looked very interesting. It is mostly photographs of kimonos owned by Geisha-Diva Ichimaru. There is a short biography of her life and it made me want to track down her music recordings. Not a big book but one of very cool photos.