Noh Theater Robe, Karaori Type, 18th century

  • Japanese

Metallic and silk brocade, silk

  • Overall: 59 3/4 × 53 5/8 inches (151.8 × 136.2 cm)

Founders Society Purchase, Henry Ford II Fund

1984.23

Restrained, formal, and masked, Nō dramas developed into the national theater of Japan under the patronage of shoguns. An all-male cast of performers combine mime, music, chant, and costume. The drama is set against an austere and unchanging stage with a lone, ancient pine painted on the back wall; robes set the mood. An actor’s inspired selection of a costume signifies masterful role interpretation. This robe is Karaori, an outer robe generally used for women’s roles and the most resplendent of all Nō costumes. Originally, karaori, meaning “Chinese weaving,” described imported, figured fabrics; later it referred to elaborate brocades woven in the Nishijin district of Kyoto. The contrasting types of silk give this robe extraordinary subtlety and depth. This robe, with a design of butterflies, chrysanthemums, and grasses, was used for plays in which autumnal imagery was prominent.

Komparu Ryu No Masters, Nara Japan

DIA, 100 MASTERWORKS FROM THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS, Hudson Hills Press, NY, 1985, p 60, p 61 (ill). DIA BULLETIN, vol 62, no 2, 1985, p 25 fig 20. Denney, Joyce. “Luxury and Propriety: Edo-Period Noh Costumes and Samurai Women's Garments in the Detroit Institute of Arts.” Bulletin of the DIA 88, no. 1/4 (2014): p. 121 (fig. 10).

Japanese, Noh Theater Robe, Karaori Type, 18th century, Metallic and silk brocade, silk. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, Henry Ford II Fund, 1984.23.