Matisse, Klimt, and Kandinsky motifs on kimono at Prato's Museo del Tessuto

Fifty male and female kimono from the early 20th century, alongside woodblock prints, paintings, and textiles, will be featured in the exhibition 'KIMONO – Riflessi d’arte tra Giappone e Occidente' at the Museo del Tessuto in Prato, opening late April. The show examines economic-cultural relations between Europe and Japan since the mid-16th century, which fostered mutual influence in art and fashion. The first section highlights Japonisme and Westernization, notably in Ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicting women in kimono, faithfully rendered by Western artists. The second section showcases complex Japanese textile techniques (nishiki, yuzen, shibori, kasuri) through precious kimono from the private Manavello collection, grouped by motifs. Garments blend Japanese symbols with European avant-garde references to Matisse, Klimt, Futurists, and Kandinsky. The final section presents kimono linked to Western industrial technology and World War II. The collection belongs to Lydia Manavello of Treviso, who has amassed kimono from the late 19th to mid-20th century, previously featured in various Italian events.