Beauty in Formality: Exploring the Marubeni Collection's Noh Robes

This exhibition explores a key part of the Marubeni Collection: robes used in Noh, a traditional Japanese performing art with centuries of history.    

The most exquisite of these Noh robes, each of which was carefully chosen for acquisition and preservation by those who came before us, are featured in this exhibition, which offers insight into the profound Japanese sense of beauty hidden within them.

Noh costumes, whether for male or female roles, include osode (“large sleeves”), in which the sleeve openings at the wrists are large, and kosode (“small sleeves”), with small, tight wrist openings.   Osode for male roles include the kariginu, happi. 

Young Pine roundel and Kotobuki character on blue ground
Edo period, latter half 18th - first half 19th century, Date family

Among male kosode costumes is the atsuita . 

Alternating gray and lighit brown color blocks with dandelion motifs 
Meiji period, latter half 19th century, Echizen Matsudaira family

The osode costumes for female Noh roles are the choken 

Flower basket and butterfly motifs on purple ground
Taisho period,  first half 20th century

 The kosode are the karaori, nuihaku, and surihaku. 

Red, white and blue,color blocks with flowing water and fan motifs
Edo period, latter half 18th - first half 19th century, Date family

The koshi-obi is a sash worn over outer garments, including the kariginu, happi, and also as the sash for nuihaku robes. 

The chukei fan used in Noh has a distinctive shape: the ends are open while the base is closed. When it is closed, it opens up from the middle to the ends of the ribs, a shape that led it the name “middle opening,” chukei. 

Article from the exhibition:

"Beauty in Formality: Exploring the Marubeni Collection’s Noh Robes"

term : 2024 September 25 - October 26
hosted by / venue: Marubeni Gallery