Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Threads of Silk and Gold: Ornamental Textiles from Meiji Japan

(from 9th Nov 2012 until 27th Jan 2013)

Discover exquisite embroideries, dyed silk and velvet panels, tapestries, and appliqué works

Detail of Screen with peacock and peahen, Japan, 1900-c.1910 (Museum no. LI1956.21)
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Fragility of textiles

Textiles of Meiji period Japan (1868-1912) are rarer and less well known today than the ceramics, woodblock prints and metalwork produced in Japan at that time. This is not because they were less popular than other crafts. In fact they were produced and exported in large quantities. However, textiles are extremely fragile and easily damaged.

The main cause of damage to textiles is uncontrolled light levels. When a textile is exposed to direct sunlight, colours quickly fade and fibres weaken, break and fall away. Heat can have a similar effect. Weakened textile fibres are extremely vulnerable to physical damage when handled.

Other damaging factors are pollution, insects and incorrect humidity. Pollution, commonly from smoke (tobacco or open fires), causes dirt deposits on textiles. The larvae of moths and carpet beetles feed on certain textiles causing holes and soiling. And if the humidity is too high, moulds may grow, staining and weakening the embroidery.

The embroidered, woven and dyed textiles in this exhibition are rare survivors. They have withstood the agents of decay which have destroyed a large number of comparable pieces.

Detail of Two Hōō, or mythical birds, over turbulent waves by a paulownia tree, probably Kyoto, late. © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford Detail of Two Hōō, or mythical birds, over turbulent waves by a paulownia tree, probably Kyoto, late.
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Objects from past exhibitions may have now returned to our stores or a lender. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so please contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.

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