{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O154618"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O154618/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV4994/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV4994/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BV4994","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum,London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FE9634","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O154618","accessionNumber":"CIRC.68-1960","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"Costume design for 'King Lear'","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Isamu Noguchi for John Gielgud as Lear in Shakespeare's play, <i>King Lear</i>, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company,  Palace Theatre, London, and European tour, 1955.\r\n\r\nJapanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was primarily a sculptor, although he was also known for designing the settings for the dance  works of American modern-dance pioneer, Martha Graham. When he was commissioned to design King Lear  for the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre  Company in 1955, he had little experience of costume. However director George Devine and his leading actor, John Gielgud, had been impressed by Noguchi’s work for  Graham. They believed that he could create appropriate designs for a stylised staging of Shakespeare's play, which, according to the programme note, ‘would be free of  historical or decorative associations so that the timeless, universal and mythical quality of the story may be clear.’\r\n\r\nInstead of painting or sketching his costume designs, Noguchi produced little paper figures. Though subsequently mounted on paper with the makers’ notes and  instructions added, the figures were designed to stand upright, and the wire strut that supported each one is still attached. This design, for Lear in the later scenes, has the typewritten wardrobe reference: 'Lear.  flesh basic & white cloak.  flower headdress\" and is annotated by Gielgud with comments and reservations about the costume - a rare case where an actor's reactions to a design are recorded. Obviously, Gielgud did not relish playing Lear's last scenes in flesh-coloured body tights and body bands, and has requested a more dignified kimono dressing gown.\n\n\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"To right, attached, a paper figure with metal wire strut, in the form of a male figure with stylized beard and hair, wearing brown all-overs, white loin cloth and with attached strips or paper painted brown.  Beneath the figure is a drawing of a sandal.  Beneath the annotations on the upper left hand side is a drawing of a striped kimono, beneath which are further annotations and a typed caption: \"27. Lear flesh basic & white cloak. flower headdress (N).\"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Noguchi, Isamu","id":"A22190"},"association":{"text":"costume designers","id":"AAT163428"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"cutting (dividing)","id":"AAT53069"},{"text":"glueing","id":"AAT53012"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Paper collage with pencil, watercolour, and wire","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Shakespeare","id":"THES253244"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2008BV4994","2012FE9634"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES356661"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}],[{"text":"collages","id":"AAT33963"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"New York","id":"x29030"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1955","earliest":"1955-01-01","latest":"1955-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"20","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"15.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"figure","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"figure","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"\"Sir John believes the change to flesh basic / should take place prior to appearing with flowered headdress. / Also, when disclosed on couch he should be wearing a sort of \"kimono\":\"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"26\" / 15\" / full length / back side","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"26\" written above kimono indicating width across neck to sleeve seams \r\n15\" written above kimono indicating sleeve length \r\nfull length written down side of kimono \r\nback side written beside detail showing how stitching falls on back of sleeve"},{"content":"\"make of white, lpad with cotton / or kapok and sew as indicated.  / White sash 2\" wide 6' long / also white, padded, and sewn twice\"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"written beneath kimono sketch and above belt sketch"},{"content":"\"shoes for this should / be brown sandals\"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"\"John Gielgud\"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Shakespeare Memorial Library S-on-A","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"stamp"}],"objectHistory":"The design was created by Isamu Noguchi for the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company's 1955 touring production of Shakespeare's <i>King Lear</i>. The play was directed by George Devine, with John Gielgud as Lear. The production opened in Brighton on 6 June, then visited festivals in Vienna, Zurich, The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Berlin and Copenhagen, before playing at London's Palace Theatre, 21 July to 17 September. It then went to Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Oslo, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, and finally came to the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon, 29 November to 17 December.\n\nThe costumes were made by Carl Bonn and Colin Mackenzie.\n\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Isamu Noguchi for John Gielgud as Lear in <i>King Lear</i>, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Palace Theatre, London, and European tour, 1955","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.68-1960"],"accessionNumberNum":"68","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1960,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN9360","2019LR2423","2019LU0575","2019LT8712"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-07","recordCreationDate":"2008-05-14","availableToBook":true}}