Opera Coat
Clothes for Women
2020.2.13.1.CW.CT.C1912.FR
Author
LOUYS (French, active end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century)Description
Pink evening coat in devoured silk velvet representing cherry blossom branches called "SAKURA" in Japanese culture. A cream-colored velvet borders the handles, forms a large collar and a bow on the back.The cherry blossom was chosen in the Nara period (710 - 794) to stand out from China, the emblem of which was the plum blossom. Since then, it has been a very important symbol of identity on the Japanese archipelago and has been the subject of numerous diversions throughout Japanese history. It was associated for example with the Emperor's allies during the civil war of 1868, before being taken over by the Meiji government (1868 - 1912) to establish its domination in several colonized countries. The government of the time, to unify a nation weakened by war, had several thousand cherry trees planted to visually mark the Japanese occupation and used symbolism in the form of metaphors in political discourse. It is therefore part of a philosophical trend - the contemplation of the cherry trees extolling the beauty of ephemeral things. The "HANAMI" festivities are than born, literally the contemplation of flowers. A laugh, a ray of sunshine becomes an instant to appreciate and to share particularly, referring to the ephemeral of a life, or the fashion collection.
Materials
Silk velvetSilk