藍地手鞠模様子供用着物|Boy’s Kimono with Lucky Thread Balls (Temari) and Bullets

Unknown

second half 1930s–early 1940s · Printed plain-weave rayon and silk · Asian Art

This boy’s kimono features a disturbing combination of cherubic soldiers alongside weapons of war and symbols of Japanese imperialism, imagery associated with strength and bravery that was appealing to the parents of young men during wartime. Some of the boys sit atop temari (lucky thread balls made as New Year’s gifts), while others carry swords. Their garments feature military insignia, warplanes, and nationalistic messages, including the word Shingun, or “Divine Army.” While some carry flags of Japan, others wave flags of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo (Manchuria, in northeast China). These visual references to warfare and the occupation of Manchuria, which Japan invaded in 1931 and controlled until 1945, incorporated notions of military aggression and expansionism into daily life.

Artist

Unknown

Date

second half 1930s–early 1940s

Medium

Printed plain-weave rayon and silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2014