Performing Arts: Noh Robes from Kasuga Shrine in Seki
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Noh Costume (Nuihaku) with Pines, Wisterias, and Swallowtail Butterflies, Muromachi–Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century (Important Cultural Property, Lent by Kasuga Shrine, Gifu)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9
October 22, 2019 (Tue) - December 25, 2019 (Wed)In this gallery, we are currently displaying noh costumes from a rare 16th-century collection. These costumes were discovered under a noh-theater stage at the Kasuga Shrine of Seki in Gifu Prefecture. They predate the Edo period (1615–1868), when the samurai government made noh into a ceremonial art form. In contrast to the lavish robes worn in later periods, the Seki noh costumes feature serene natural scenery and embroidered patterns on fabrics that were probably imported from China and Korea. Their distinctive qualities provide us with a sense of what medieval noh robes may have looked like.
Current exhibit includes:
Noh Costume (Suō) with Auspicious Symbols, Muromachi–Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century (Important Cultural Property, Lent by Kasuga Shrine, Gifu)
Noh Costume (Suō) with Flowering Plants and Poem Papers, Muromachi–Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th (Important Cultural Property, Lent by Kasuga Shrine, Gifu)
Noh Costume (Nuihaku) with Pines, Wisterias, and Swallowtail Butterflies, Muromachi–Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century (Important Cultural Property, Lent by Kasuga Shrine, Gifu)
Noh Costume (Hitatare) with Paths, Chrysanthemums, Paulownias, and Cranes with Pine Branches, Muromachi - Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century (Important Cultural Property, Lent by Kasuga Shrine, Gifu)