Detail View: The AMICA Library: Outer Noh Robe

Stiff, sumptuously figured robes help actors create an otherworldly impression in the dream-like sequences of No plays. Richly brocaded garments known as karaori are reserved for women's roles. Although they resemble embroidery, they are actually woven by a difficult technique of floating weft threads of glossed silk to form a dense, colorful pattern against a solid ground. In this case, grape vines and autumn grasses intertwine with a bamboo lattice pattern. The difficulty and time-consuming nature of karaori weaving made these garments the rarest and most expensive of all.