Detail View: The AMICA Library: Noh Robe
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AMICA ID:
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CMA_.1974.36
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AMICA Library Year:
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1998
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Object Type:
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Textiles
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Creator Nationality:
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Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese
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Creator Dates/Places:
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Japan
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Japan, Edo Period
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Title:
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Noh Robe
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Title Type:
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Primary
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View:
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Full View
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Creation Date:
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first half 18th Century
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Creation Start Date:
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1700
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Creation End Date:
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1750
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Materials and Techniques:
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embroidery, silk and applied gold leaf on silk ground
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Dimensions:
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Overall: 158.5cm x 138cm
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Cleveland Museum of Art
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Owner Location:
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Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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ID Number:
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1974.36
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Credit Line:
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Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
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Rights:
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Context:
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This magnificent robe was a costume specifically designed for performances of Noh theater in Japan. Originating during the fourteenth century from simple folk plays, Noh drama evolved into formal presentations of ritual, drama, dance, and music performed in the courts and shrines of the nobility. Stories were derived from a variety of sources?myths, legends, poetry, prose?many dating back to the medieval period. Because great importance was placed on subtlety and elegance, plots tended to be minimal. All roles, whether male or female, were played by men. Central to these performances were the masks and costumes worn by the actors. The brilliance and elegance of this robe are characteristic of costumes made solely for Noh theater. Its date in the first half of the eighteenth century is indicated by the proportions of the robe, the choice of embroidery stitches (satin, couching, and outline), and the absence of decoration at the hips, a fashion also reflected in kimonos at that time. The design of weepingcherry trees and irises in the snow was very likely inspired by a medieval Japanese poem. Robes decorated with embroidery against a gold ground were reserved for female roles. These robes were worn under an external garment and were, therefore, only partially visible. A.W.
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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CMA_.1974.36.tif
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