{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1738615"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1738615/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1738615","accessionNumber":"S.7-2023","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"The Mousmé ","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Wilhelm (Charles Pitcher) for a geisha in Act 2 of Alex M. Thompson and Robert Courtneidge's musical comedy, <i>The Mousmé</i> (<i>The Maids of Japan</i>), first performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, on 9 September 1911. The lyrics were  by Arthur Wimperis and Percy Greenback, the music was composed by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot, and the scenery was designed by Conrad Tritschler. <i>The Mousmé</i> was produced by Robert Courtneidge, and the choreography was arranged by Edouard Espinosa and Alfred H. Majilton. The costumes were made by Mrs Woolcott and the wigs by Clarkson.\n\nA fashion for all things Japanese had first made an impression in Britain in the 1860s with the opening up of Japan to Western trade, and it was given new impetus in London by the 1884 Japanese Village Exhibition in Knightsbridge.  By 1885 Japanese artefacts imported to London had started a craze for Japonism. 'We are all being more or less Japanned', wrote the <i>Daily Telegraph</i> theatre critic after the first night of <i>The Mikado</i>, and the popularity of Japanese settings carried on into the 20th century with productions including <i>In Japan</i> at the Alhambra Theatre (1902) and <i>The Mousmé</i> (1911) for which Wilhelm designed this costume. <i>The Mousmé</i> was also a good example of the fin de siècle fashion for musicals that depicted foreign cultures. \n\nProducer Robert Courtneidge described in his autobiography <i>I was an Actor Once</i>, p.216, how, in preparation for <i>The Mousmé</i>, he travelled along the Trans-Siberian railway and ‘spent a busy fortnight in Japan, absorbing all of the scene, costume and customs that I could’. To give authority to <i>The Mousmé</i>’s authenticity, a statement from Ito Hirokuni, son of the Japanese prime minister and resident of London, was included in the programme:\n\r\n‘I feel bound to say that of <i>The Mousmé</i> shows the best picture of Japan I have seen on your English stage, and although I understand that Mr. Courtneidge sacrificed considerable time visiting Japan to get the real spirit of my country for his new play, the result justifies the trouble he has taken. He is giving much pleasure to my compatriots and myself.\n\nWilhelm (William Charles Pitcher RI, 1858-1925) was one of the most inventive and prolific late-19th-century costume designers whose early passion for stage spectacle led to his employment designing pantomime costumes for Drury Lane Theatre. His attention to detail and ability to create visually stunning and decorative costumes appealed to producers and public alike and led to a constant stream of work throughout his life. His superbly decorative designs for the Empire Theatre ballet costumes, from 1887 to 1915, led to an obituary writer noting: 'The name C. Wilhelm should be written in gold on the history of ballet'. Although Wilhelm never travelled abroad, he undertook meticulous research for his productions. An article about the production of <i>The Mousmé</i> in <i>Cassell’s Magazine</i> notes that there were nearly 400 costumes, ‘yet every girl in the piece has a separate design all to herself’.\n\r\nRobert Courtneidge had four companies touring identical  productions of <i>The Mousmé</i> in 1912,  taking the musical to 100 locations. Courtneidge claimed  the production was a financial disaster on which he lost £20,000.\n\r\nProducer Robert Courtneidge travelled along the Trans-Siberian railway to Japan to study Japanese culture and traditions. Here he ‘spent a busy fortnight in Japan, absorbing all of the scene, costume and customs that I could’. He had four companies touring identical productions of <i>The Mousmé</i> in 1912 taking the musical to 100 places he claimed the production was a financial disaster on which he lost £20,000.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Costume design for a geisha. The design depicts a full length female figure, side view, in a Japanese-style costume.  The costume consists of a white kimono, decorated with golden maple leaves, and a blue and pink obi. The figure also wears a pair of tabis on her feet, and her elaborate black wig is decorated with flowers. She holds a flower in her outstretched right hand and a closed fan to her lips in her left. Signed ‘C WILHELM 1911’, written vertically in a style that imitates Japanese calligraphy, at the lower left hand side. In the top right corner is 'Geisha Act II'. At the bottom is a small pencilled '20'. On the reverse in ballpoint pen, '3056' - this probably relates to framing by previous owners. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Wilhelm","id":"A4703"},"association":{"text":"costume designers","id":"AAT163428"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"art board","id":"x33244"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour, ink and pencil on board","categories":[{"text":"Musical Theatre","id":"THES278879"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES385865"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1911","earliest":"1911-01-01","latest":"1911-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequest of Kerry Jordan and Hannes Ueckerman of Wakkerstroom, South Africa","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"16.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Wilhelm (Charles Pitcher) for a geisha in Act 2 of the musical comedy, <i>The Mousmé</i>, at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1911 ","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.7-2023"],"accessionNumberNum":"7","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2023,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-07-15","recordCreationDate":"2022-12-19","availableToBook":false}}