Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Child’s Winter Kimono with Mickey Mouse
Not on view
The Mickey Mouse design borrowed from Western popular culture on this child’s thickly padded winter garment evidences twentieth-century Japan’s adaptability in a changing world. In one repeating element, Mickey’s pal is on the verge of being stung by a mosquito, likely a reference to the 1934 Disney film Camping Out, in which the cartoon characters battle a swarm of angry insects. The motif, set against a checked, patchwork-patterned cotton ground, was produced by roller printing: copper rollers—one for each color—are carved with a design in small dots and fine lines and used to press colored paste into the fabric. The technique facilitated the mass production of textiles reminiscent of kasuri (ikat) and was often used to make inexpensive cotton clothing for children.
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