December
01, 2003
The Spurlock Museum
hosted a Discovery Day, “Kimonos
for Kids” on November 15, 2003. Led by Museum Learning Center
Coordinator Julia Robinson and docent Emily Holm, participants from
grades K-4 learned about this fascinating national costume of Japan.
In the Museum’s Workman Gallery of Asian Cultures, students
viewed a wedding kimono, focusing on the family crests (or mon)
depicted on the kimono. A matching game highlighted a variety of
mon designs
inspired by nature.
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| In the Rowe Learning Center, students select papers to reflect a season
through color. |
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| Students view the wedding kimono adorned with crests and phoenix birds. |
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The group then traveled back in time to explore the kimonos
of medieval Japan in the focus gallery exhibit, Luxurious
Layers: Kimonos
of the Heian Court. Students learned that a kimono is always cut
from one long rectangle of cloth. They examined fabric patterns
and colors, which reflect the seasons. Wearing and walking
in the many
layers and the heavy weight of the Heian outfit was very complicated—as
one participant, who tried on multiple layers of fabric, found
out through first-hand experience.
Quicktime
Movie Clip
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| Kids begin their multi-layered paper kimonos by picking
colors for their creations. |
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Finally, the group moved to the
Rowe Learning Center for a hands-on project. Each participant chose a selection
of colored papers to reflect a particular season and then created a multi-layered
kimono.
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