BALTIMORE, MD.- The Baltimore Museum of Art is showcasing Kimono and Obi: Romantic Echoes from Japan’s Golden Age, as part of We wear culture, a Google Arts & Culture project that uses state-of-the-art technology to present 3,000 years of fashion in the world’s largest virtual exhibition of style.

The We wear culture project invites virtual visitors to explore 400 online exhibitions from 180 cultural institutions presenting everything from the ancient Silk Road and the courtly fashions of Versailles to iconic creations by Coco Chanel and other famous fashion designers. The BMA’s selection of exquisite Japanese kimono robes and obi sashes were originally shown at the museum from July 2016 to January 2017. Many of the images in the online exhibition can be magnified to examine the individual gold threads that were woven into or embroidered onto the garments. Viewers can also click on image titles for detailed descriptions of the many elaborate techniques used to create these stunning kimono and obi.

“We chose kimono and obi made in the last 150 years, during Japan’s period of modernization, that still paid homage to a high point of traditional Japanese culture—the Heian period (794-1185) from a thousand years ago,” said BMA Curator of Textiles Anita Jones. “The symbols on these textiles refer to the artistic achievements of the men and women of the Heian Court and are created with extraordinary labor intensive techniques that produced breathtakingly beautiful garments.”

Consulting Curator Ann Marie Moeller adds, “The women who first wore the exhibition kimono displayed their knowledge of Japanese history, art, and literature with the subjects they chose to adorn their clothes. This online exhibit provides an opportunity for the world to discover the messages they wished to convey to their peers.”

This is the BMA’s second online exhibition collaboration with Google Arts & Culture. Questioning the Canon, a survey of 17 works by African American artists in the museum’s collection, was launched in February 2016.