Karaori (Noh costume), Chrysanthemum sprig design on checkered brown ground (detail), Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9
October 17, 2017 (Tue) - December 3, 2017 (Sun)
The Noh play Miidera centers around a woman driven mad with despair in the search for her missing son, who was sold into slavery. Guided by the Buddhist deity Kannon at Kiyomizudera temple, she travels to Miidera temple, where she finds her son, who has become a child disciple, among a group of monks viewing the autumn moon. In the first half of the play, the lead actor wears a karaori garment and a mask signifying his role as a middle-aged woman. In the second half, he wears a costume that represents travel wear. It consists of a mizugoromo and a nuihaku (a garment decorated with gold foil and embroidery), with the latter wrapped around the waist.
Current exhibit includes:
Karaori (Noh costume), Chrysanthemum sprig design on checkered brown ground, Edo period, 18th century
Nuihaku (Noh costume), Autumn grasses and cloud design on white ground, Formerly passed down by the Mori clan, Edo period, 18th century