{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O562280"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O562280/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NL2240/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NL2240/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NL2240","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O562280","accessionNumber":"E.5321-1960","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"Costume design for the Fool in 'King Lear'","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Isamu Noguchi for David O'Brien as the Fool in William Shakespeare's play <i>King Lear</i>, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Palace Theatre, London, and European Tour, 1955.\n\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 <i>King Lear</i> 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.'\n\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. ","physicalDescription":"Cut-out card figure with metal wire strut, attached to a sheet of paper annotated with notes. A male figure of a Fool, in a grey all over suit overlaid with small patches of various colours. He wears a red jester's hat.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Isamu Noguchi","id":"A22190"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"card","id":"x30344"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Card collage with pencil and watercolour, with wire rod, mounted on paper","categories":[{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Costumes","id":"THES269529"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2023NL2240"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLC","id":"THES49171"},"free":"","case":"MB2A","shelf":"DR82","box":"LOANS"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"New York","id":"x29030"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1955","earliest":"1950-01-01","latest":"1959-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"14.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"figure","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"David O'Brien","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"in pencil on paper mount"},{"content":"'9086-XIX'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Numbered in ink"},{"content":"18. Fool\r\nbasic & loose pockets, bean bag","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"typewritten note stuck to mount"},{"content":"12 3/4  14 1/4","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"in pencil next to figure"},{"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":"stamped on mount"}],"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.\r\n\nThe costumes were made by Carl Bonn and Colin Mackenzie.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Isamu Noguchi for David O'Brien as the Fool in <i>King Lear</i>, 1955","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1960 and 1961 </u> London: HMSO, 1964"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.5321-1960"],"accessionNumberNum":"5321","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1960,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-05","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}