New exhibit at MFA St. Pete brings touch of Japan to Tampa Bay with over 100 kimonos

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete is bringing a little bit of Japan right here to Tampa Bay with its newest exhibit, “Kimono, the Triumph of Japanese Dress.”

The exhibit features about 130 kimonos, all lent by collectors living in the Tampa Bay area.

“This is an exhibition that is drawn from three private collections, and these are very rare, really spectacular items that have really never been seen by the public before,” said Chief Curator Stanton Thomas.

Thomas said every kimono in the exhibit was handmade and worn by people living in Japan. Some of them date back more than 250 years.

“It’s very exciting to find out that these pieces are here in our own backyard, that we can show them,” said fellow curator Jason Wyatt. “I mean, you have a simple idea of what a kimono may be, but with this exhibition, it really opens up your eyes on what a kimono really encompasses.”

The museum said it’s almost like every kimono tells its own story.

“You look at what a young woman is wearing; she’s wearing symbols that will almost discuss who she is as a person, whether she's into the arts, if she is into reading books,” said Wyatt.

“You’ll see a lot of cranes. Cranes are a bird that are a symbol of a thousand years of long life. And then you’ll see turtles, and a turtle is 10,000 years, and these symbols are repeated in various combinations across the board," said Thomas.

They say it’s great to hear from visitors about applying what they’ve seen in the musuem into their own wardrobes.

“The creativity that goes into decorating them, designing them, that has just been extraordinary. So this is a chance to really celebrate that incredible creativity, this innovation and craftsmanship,” said Thomas.

“I think it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s just beautiful, it's breathtaking,” said visitor Sandra Friendly.

“Kimono, The Triumph of Japanese Dress” is on display now until June 8.