On the occasion of the generous donation of a roughly 60-piece collection from Henriette Friis, the MAK is dedicating an exhibition to Meisen kimonos and haoris from the first half of the 20th century.

The exhibition will present colorful and often large-patterned pieces from the Taishō and Shōwa periods, illustrating the characteristic features of this special form of kimono. Their "all-over-patterns" reflect the cultural exchange between Japan and the West as well as Japan’s engagement with European modernity. For a long time, silk was reserved for Japan’s privileged upper class.

Only in the late 19th century, technological innovations in the production of schappe silk and the introduction of aniline dyes led to a greater availability of the material. As a result, the Meisen kimono became affordable at the beginning of the 20th century and evolved into a widely used everyday clothing of the “new woman.”