Showing Off: Identity and Display in Asian Costume

The Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University presents an exhibition of Asian textiles and other works demonstrating how costume and objects of personal adornment functioned as a method of identification and display from the late 18th century to today.

Fashion is a form of language. What we wear broadcasts critical information about us and serves as a visible indicator of social rank, profession, ethnicity, or status. This exhibition of Asian textiles and other works from the Cantor’s collection demonstrates how costume and objects of personal adornment functioned as a method of identification and display from the late 18th century to today. Ranging from Qing court costumes to Indonesian textiles, the selection on view spotlights visual symbols while showcasing rarely displayed garments.