Noh and Kabuki: Masks and Costumes for the Noh Play Kamo
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Karaori (Noh Costume), Interlocking circle and framed picture design on red ground (detail), Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9
June 13, 2017 (Tue) - August 6, 2017 (Sun)Displayed here are masks and costumes from the Edo period (1603–1868) that were donned for the Noh play Kamo. The setting of this play is Shimogamo Jinja shrine in Kyoto. In the latter half of the play, an ancestral god worshipped at the shrine dances in the guise of a heavenly maiden. Drawn by this dance, the thunder god of the shrine, Wake Ikazuchi, appears and preaches about the blessing the gods are capable of bestowing. In contrast to the graceful countenance of the female ancestral god, the male thunder god wears a golden otobide mask and is depicted with a menacing appearance.
Current exhibit includes:
Karaori (Noh Costume), Interlocking circle and framed picture design on red ground, Edo period, 18th century
Choken (Noh costume), Peony arabesque, butterfly, and bird design on dark blue ground, Edo period, 18th centuryぜ