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Noh Robe (Karaori)

second half 18th century
Not on view
The sumptuous robes worn by actors of the Noh theater are vital to the representation of each character’s gender, social status, and age. Their treasure trove of patterns and textures likely prompted Moore to add Noh costumes to his collection. Karaori (literally, “Chinese weave”) is a term for the elaborate garments typically worn as outer robes by performers in female roles. The twill silk, woven so that the wefts float on the surface, gives the fabric an embroidered appearance. Robes for female roles feature motifs from nature; the example here, embellished with white peonies in roundels against red ground (iro-iri), denotes the role of an aristocratic young woman.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Noh Robe (Karaori)
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: second half 18th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Twill-weave silk with brocading in silk and supplementary weft patterning in silk (karaori)
  • Dimensions: Overall: 68 x 50 3/4 in. (172.7 x 128.9 cm)
  • Classification: Costumes
  • Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
  • Object Number: 91.1.61
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Court Robe (Hōyeki-Hō), Silk; gold / Brocaded, Japan
Court Robe (Hōyeki-Hō)
Japan
Robe (Kosode) with Floral Roundels, Figured satin-weave silk with tie-dyeing, silk embroidery, and couched gold thread, Japan
Robe (Kosode) with Floral Roundels
Japan
ca. 1670s
Robe (Kosode) with Shells and Sea Grasses , Embroidery and gold leaf on plain-weave silk patterned with warp floats, Japan

Robe (Kosode) with Shells and Sea Grasses

Japan
early 17th century
Robe (Kosode) with Cherry Blossoms and Cypress Fence , Silk and metallic thread embroidery with resist dyeing on satin damask, Japan

Robe (Kosode) with Cherry Blossoms and Cypress Fence

Japan
second half of the 17th century
Zhou Maoshu Admiring Lotuses, Kaihō Yūsetsu Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on silk, Japan
Zhou Maoshu Admiring Lotuses
Kaihō Yūsetsu
mid-17th century

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