Noh Costume (Surihaku) with Chinese Bellflowers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Blooming in the middle of the eighth lunar month, the Chinese bellflower (kikyō), with its star-shaped blossoms, is celebrated as one of the seven autumn grasses. The execution of the simple floral motif on this robe is reminiscent of background designs painted in gold and silver on poem cards and handscrolls by artists of the Rinpa school, beginning with Tawaraya Sōtatsu (d. ca. 1640). Surihaku robes are decorated with patterns of gold or silver leaf affixed with paste to a plain-colored background. In Noh performances, they are worn as inner garments, often covered and seen only at the collar or shining almost imperceptibly through a gauzy cloak, but sometimes outer garments are draped or wrapped in such a way as to expose the surihaku's chest area or right sleeve or even the entire upper portion of the robe.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art