The Asian subcollection with 4,000 items is the largest holding among academic institutions in the United States. With clothing and textile items dating as early as the late 18th century from South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, the Asian collection is a valuable resource. There are many irreplaceable items, including the silk winter kimono (on the first page of this website) that was presented to Commander Perry's party during the trade negotiations that opened Japan to western commerce in 1854.
Selendang Songket (Shoulder
Cloth), Sumatra.
1850 - made of silk weft ikat and gold songket, a continuous
supplementary weft of gold yarns.
Golden Lotus Shoes, China, Late Ching
Dynasty.
The ideal of tiny feet lasted a thousand years in China. Women with tiny feet were highly valued and married men in higher social classes. These four-inch shoes were made at the end of the Ching dynasty, probably early 20th century.