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Object Timeline

1997

  • Work on this object began.

2006

2024

  • You found it!

Textile, Harmony

This is a Textile. It is dated 1997 and we acquired it in 2006. Its medium is polyester and its technique is heat-transfer printed with intentional wrinkles. It is a part of the Textiles department.

Harmony was designed by Urase Co., Ltd. in 1997, using a type of heat-transfer printing process combined with proprietary manufacturing processes. A plain woven, white polyester fabric is deliberately wrinkled, then printed with heat-transfer sheets in a soft blue-gray. The heat and pressure permanently set both the ink and the wrinkles. This process ultimately transforms a static piece of polyester into a dynamic surface that can be most vividly seen when the wrinkles are pulled apart to reveal another color—the original fabric color—underneath.
Urase, established in 1918 in Fukui, Japan, primarily manufactures millions of meters of polyester fabric for applications in the fields of fashion, sports, medicine, and industry. Urase also has a small research and development department that experiments with new techniques and technologies for polyester. This experimentation has resulted in textiles such as Harmony.
The proposed acquisition of Harmony would help the museum build a strong core of contemporary textiles, an area specifically targeted for acquisition. The contemporary textiles currently held by the museum, which include other Japanese works, reflect some of the best textiles made during the late 20th and early 21st century. Studying these textiles will add to an understanding of current Japanese design and technology.

This object was donated by The Museum of Modern Art. It is credited Gift of the Museum of Modern Art.

Its dimensions are

Warp x Weft: 428 x 115 cm (14 ft. 1/2 in. x 45 1/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Textile, Harmony; Japan; polyester; Warp x Weft: 428 x 115 cm (14 ft. 1/2 in. x 45 1/4 in.); Gift of the Museum of Modern Art; 2006-22-2

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18705631/ |title=Textile, Harmony |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=19 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>