A long time ago before my Immortals were born, I found a
website one day that it’s all about the Kimonos. I remember that I went to that
website almost everyday, kept admiring and dreaming of my own Kimono like that.
I didn’t know who the artist is, but I only loved to see some colorful kimonos
in different colors, black, red, gold, some colorful tiny flowers, cranes, and
also many miniatures beautiful props and wigs in Oriental Japanese Styles.
Until I have made my own porcelain BJDs, I started to dream about those Kimonos
again. I, therefore, started making the Kimonos, trying to adapted and applied
from what I saw. I goggled and bought some books that taught how to do the
Kimono patterns. Finally the Kimono from what I have learnt from the books was
done. Umm what should I say? I gave up and I kept it. I never put it
on the website anymore. It might not be the right time for me to have the best
Kimono like those. It came up to my mind someday that I should write to that
artist and ask her to make a Kimono for my doll specially. However, I was to
considerate not to disturb her until there was a destiny, a very beautiful
destiny that made my big dream came true. As I said in some previous blog that
how I got to this Kimonos artist, Miwa M, a very skillful kimonos making master
of many different types for BJDs, now I would like to make a second review for
her kimono in this whole entry of my blog here.
It came to me one day that I went to Miwa’s facebook and I
saw some pictures of her doll wearing the kimono, “Oiran” The topic said “If
you play with Oiran, please learn a tradition. Uncouth is disliked by them. :P”
This made me think that the maker has a really strong back ground of what she’s
doing. A person who becomes “Oiran” should have some political knowledge,
entertaining skills, musical, acting, and some performances as a kind of art.
An of course, she must have a good personality, too. This is how she looks from
Miwa’s vision. How do you like her? For me I love this doll with the kimono by
Miwa so much!
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After I have seen some pictures from her facebook, I
wouldn’t hesitate to write and ask her about the possibility to own this hand
made Kimono. Miwa said she could
not repeat the same kimono again because each kimono takes time and the
graphics on the kimono are always not the same. I feel it’s so special because
the cutting and the pattern from the real pieces are not what I could learn
exactly from the book at all. To make a complicated things like this, the maker
must have a very strong sense of how to attach and combine the pattern wisely.
I got some massages back during our conversation and it took 3 days that the
kimono came to my place after the writing some long emails. Thank you very much
that she shipped the kimono so fast and I didn’t expect that it would be that
fast! How nice.
The kimono came to me yesterday in the evening as I came back home and
my brother said that there was a package from Japan. I realized that it must be
that Kimono from Miwa. And it’s right. I slowly opened and saw things
carefully. I got a short massage
from her, saying something about her work. She also sent some postcards, and
they are very beautiful! I got so surprised that Miwa had sent me the small
pillow for the doll, a green mat, and also the golden back drop as a beautiful prop! Oh my
goodness, my heart was popping out so fast!
The second thing that I saw was something in a plastic box.
The box was carefully packed the decoration part for the dress. I didn’t know
what to call these pieces. But they are golden. On the right pictures, there are
2 goldfish as a beautiful decoration on it. This shows how imaginative that the
Japanese people have from the past until now.
This shows the front and back of the 1st layer of
the dress. I really love the red and purple. These 2 colors are so fresh. I
noticed the pattern and they are totally hand made! I couldn’t believe this!
They can be a museum Kimono doll quality. The different needles colors were
carefully sew on the dress pieces. I’m so speechless. It reminded me a surprised
thing of a temple in Kyoto once I visited, that temple was built and constructed
without any nails! It’s so gigantic and it amazed me so much. So did this kimono!!!
And these show the outer dress that the front and the back
is beautifully and equally cut and sew by hands. The birds on the upper left
arm, and right arm, and also at the bottom are so equal! That’s so nice!
The last thing that I would like to share us all here is the
wig and the accessories. The wig is really neat and strong with the cap inside.It's called "Shimada" wig style.
I like the small tiny double pins that the top has got small chains with the
circular crafts at the tips. Needless to say, these special pins make the doll
and the wig look very charming and truly beautiful!
Now I just keep this Kimono very well in the box, and I
promise that I will share us all here on day when I make another special doll
that fits Miwa’s Kimono. I have a plan to make my private gallery one day in
the future and I believe that the 2 kimonos from Miwa, Heian Period, and Oiran
Kimono will display together beautifully in a nice glass box.I'd like to "thank you" very much for visiting the blog. I also would like
to Thank You Miwa here for making my dream comes true. I have some other
artists that I want to share here,too. But to night, Thank You and have a sweet
dreams guys.
Hugs/Nune
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credit pictures a, b, and c: http://www.facebook.com/miwa.maruta
