Kimono - Tapa dura

Any first time visitor to Japan will be struck by that most beautiful symbol of its ancient culture: the kimono. This book contains a selection of the numerous encounters photographer Paul van Riel had with people wearing kimono all over Japan. In the introduction Liza Dalby describes the kimono's transformation from daily clothing to formal wear over the course of the 20th century. Her personal experiences give us a glimpse of the meanings the kimono has for the geisha.

Photographer Paul van Riel (1948) has roamed the world with his cameras, on assignments for magazines and international cooperations. He is also a contract photographer with the prestigious Black Star photo agency in New York. He is currently concentrating on various book projects and a series of exhibitions worldwide. He has visited Japan over fifty times since 1978 to cover a wide range of subjects. Liza Dalby is one of the world's experts on geisha and kimono an the author of best-selling titles such as Kimono - Fashioning Culture; Geisha and The Tale of Murasaki.