A dark blue kimono adorned with gold willow trees and white birds, displayed flat on a white surface.
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Unknown Maker, Japanese

Nō Theater Costume (Kariginu)
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Japanese

Culture

Japanese

Title

Nō Theater Costume (Kariginu)

Year

ca. 1800–1850

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

silk, gilt paper

Dimensions

164.5 cm (64 3/4 inches) (center back length)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

The cloak has a paper wrapper with an ink inscription reading, "Owned by the Hirase family".

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

35.459

Type

Publications

  • Books

Patterns and Poetry: Nō Robes from the Lucy Truman Aldrich Collection

No robes from the Lucy Truman Aldrich Collection at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. A beautiful and informative publication on the RISD Museum's collection of costumes for the Japanese No theater. This collection, arguably the finest in the United States, was assembled largely on the spot in Japan during the 1920's by Rhode Islander Lucy Truman Aldrich, sister-in-law of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The 47 robes came to the Museum by gift and bequest from Miss Aldrich herself and represent all categories of No costume. Four essays document the history of the collection, including Miss Aldrich's encounter with Chinese bandits; poetic allusion in the imagery of the robes; the traditional methods of making No robes; and the evolution of No costume over 650 years. Individual entries with color illustrations discuss each of the 47 objects.

Susan Anderson Hay, Curator of Costumes and Textiles, RISD Museum of Art Monica Bethe, Independent Scholar, Japan Helen M. Nagata, former Curator of Asian Art, RISD Museum of Art Iwao Nagasaki, Curator and Scholar at the National Museum, Tokyo, Japan

Exhibition History

Asian Art Galleries
Jun 10, 2014

Label copy

In this striking kariginu robe, playful swallows dance among cascading golden willow trees, evoking the arrival of early summer. Likely designed to be worn by actors portraying aristocrats or powerful supernatural beings, the robe exemplifies the grandeur of Nō costume design. Its decoration is remarkable both for its painterly quality and large scale. The willows are rendered in discontinuous gold-leafed paper wefts, while the swallows are woven in white silk, adding dimension to the piece and amplifying the visual presence of the performer on stage. 

A Tribute to Miss Lucy
Noh Robes from the Collection
Feb 22, 2002 – Jun 09, 2002
Patterns and Poetry
Noh Robes from the Lucy Truman Aldrich Collection
Oct 21, 1994 – Jan 22, 1995
Poetry in Pattern
Selections from the Lucy Truman Aldrich Collection of Noh Costumes
Jun 09, 1989 – Sep 03, 1989
Poetry in Pattern
Selections from the Lucy Truman Aldrich Collection of Noh Costumes
Oct 10, 1987 – Nov 04, 1987

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Japanese
Nō Theater Costume (Kariginu), ca. 1800–1850
Complex gauze ground with supplementary discontinuous gold-leafed paper and silk patterning wefts
164.5 cm (64 3/4 inches) (center back length)
Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich 35.459

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