Noh Robe (Karaori) with Autumn Flowers and Grasses

Noh Robe (Karaori) with Autumn Flowers and Grasses

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Karaori, literally "Chinese Weave," is a stiff brocade technique that employs a uniform direction of weft in which long stitches of glossed silk threads are floated over an unglossed silk twill ground, while foil-covered flat threads are bound close to the twill ground weave. The stiff karaori brocade does not drape easily, but it creates an angular effect, helping to evoke the spirit of a former noblewoman. The karaori with flowering grasses emphasizes that woman's femininity. The choice of a robe for a play is based on both its color and pattern, but not on a specific reference to a motif. The aura from the elegance of the robe and the actor's spiritual interpretation create the central persona in the play. A red-ground color (iro-ari) indicates the role of a beautiful young woman. Motifs are governed by convention, but they are incorporated in such variations that robes are rarely identical. The shippo-tusnagi (interlocking circles) is the background motif woven in gold-foil flat threads. Derived from the Buddhist term shiho (seven jewels or treasures), its auspicious meaning led to its popularity in textile design, especially in Noh robes.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Noh Robe (Karaori) with Autumn Flowers and GrassesNoh Robe (Karaori) with Autumn Flowers and GrassesNoh Robe (Karaori) with Autumn Flowers and GrassesNoh Robe (Karaori) with Autumn Flowers and GrassesNoh Robe (Karaori) with Autumn Flowers and Grasses

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.