Noh and Kyogen : The Performing Arts in Samurai Lord
Ceremonial Noh in Owari Tokugawa Family's Households
Noh and Kyogen
Since Noh performances formed an integral part of household ceremonies and entertainment for guests, the Noh stage was an essential element of every Daimyō household.
Noh Mask, Ko-omote (Edo period, 17th c.) by Traditionally attributed to Zekan Yoshimitsu and Traditionally attributed to Zekan Yoshimitsu(1526?-1616)The Tokugawa Art Museum
In Edo period, noh became a ceremonial performance staged for official event. The Samurai Lord invited noh performers and prepared a stock of masks, costumes, and props for various noh performances.
Noh Costume, Thick Outer Robe (Atsuita-karaori) (Edo period, 17th c.) by unknownThe Tokugawa Art Museum
The strong voicing, the choreographed movement of masked actors, and the instrumental music played by a flute, and drums, make noh among the most abstract stage art in the world.
The types of Noh costume worn for a given role in a given play are set.
Thick robes "atsuita" are made of heavy material.
Noh Costume, Outer Cloak (Chōken) (Edo period, 19th c.)The Tokugawa Art Museum
The Samurai Lord not only enjoyed attending noh but also sought to take lessons in the performance of the song, dance, and instruments such as hand drum and flute.
This is the outer cloak called Choken. This cloak suggests the armor of a warrior-courtier and evokes the elegance of a woman's dance.
Hand-Drum Body (Ko-tsuzumi Dō) with Container Box (Muromachi period, 16th c.)The Tokugawa Art Museum
Almost all the noh instruments in the museum belonged to and were played by the head or other members of the Owari Tokugawa family.
Exhibit created by the Tokugawa Art Museum.
