Noh Robe (Karaori) with Pattern of Young Pines and Snow-Covered Bamboo on a Red Ground

Noh Robe (Karaori) with Pattern of Young Pines and Snow-Covered Bamboo on a Red Ground

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Green in the depth of winter, pine and bamboo are emblematic of that season and of long life. Together with the plum (not rendered here but perhaps suggested by the deep red color of the robe), these plants traditionally augur a felicitous new year. Pillowy soft snow mounded on branches was a common textile pattern of the Momoyama period (1573–1615), but in the Edo period snow usually took the more stylized form of the yukiwa (literally, "snow circle") motifs seen on the bamboo leaves on this robe. The small size of this Noh costume makes it appropriate for kokata (child actors), who played the roles of children and exalted personages such as the emperor.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Noh Robe (Karaori) with Pattern of Young Pines and Snow-Covered Bamboo on a Red GroundNoh Robe (Karaori) with Pattern of Young Pines and Snow-Covered Bamboo on a Red GroundNoh Robe (Karaori) with Pattern of Young Pines and Snow-Covered Bamboo on a Red GroundNoh Robe (Karaori) with Pattern of Young Pines and Snow-Covered Bamboo on a Red GroundNoh Robe (Karaori) with Pattern of Young Pines and Snow-Covered Bamboo on a Red Ground

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.