Karaori (Outer Noh robe), brocade of grape vines with autumn grasses and gold bamboo lattice motif on blue-grey twill weave silk. The design is not created through embroidery as it appears to be, but with the Karaori brocade technique of floating the weft threads of glossed silk to create the various floral and lattice patterns. This allowed for only a few centimeters of fabric to be woven per day, making such robes extremely rare and expensive works of art. This garment has been used in only a few recorded performances since its manufacture accounting for its exceptionally fine condition.

Outer Noh robe of grape vines with autumn grasses, early 19th century

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Richly brocaded garments known as karaori, literally "Chinese weaving," are reserved for women's roles in Japanese Nō dramas. Although they resemble embroidery, they are actually woven by a difficult technique of floating weft threads of glossed silk to form a dense, colorful pattern against a solid ground. In this case, grape vines and autumn grasses intertwine with a bamboo lattice pattern. The difficult and time-consuming nature of karaori weaving made these garments the rarest and most expensive of all.

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Details
Title
Outer Noh robe of grape vines with autumn grasses
Role
Artist
Dimension
63 in. (160.02 cm)
Accession Number
81.90
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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Karaori (Outer Noh robe), brocade of grape vines with autumn grasses and gold bamboo lattice motif on blue-grey twill weave silk. The design is not created through embroidery as it appears to be, but with the Karaori brocade technique of floating the weft threads of glossed silk to create the various floral and lattice patterns. This allowed for only a few centimeters of fabric to be woven per day, making such robes extremely rare and expensive works of art. This garment has been used in only a few recorded performances since its manufacture accounting for its exceptionally fine condition.