Japanese, late 18th century
Robe for a Summer Noh Play
Silk, gold paint
Gift of Dr. Herman B Wells, IUAM, 67.4

The Noh theatre developed in Japan in the 14th century as an aristocratic art form combining poetry, music, dance, and song. Under the patronage of the Shoguns and the military classes, Noh actors wrote and performed hundreds of plays, mostly on topics of history, mythology, and Buddhist philosophy. Singing the text and dancing to the accompaniment of a small orchestra and a chorus, the principal actors wear lavish costumes that add visual splendor to the bare stage.

This particular robe, with gold decorations painted on white silk, is a type often designated for the under-kimono of a female character, who also would have worn a more colorful brocade over-kimono and a mask. Herman Wells may have acquired this robe on his trip to Japan in 1965.

© 2001 Indiana University Art Museum
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Photographs of artworks: Michael Cavanagh and Kevin Montague.
Photographs of Herman B Wells: Courtesy of IU Office of Communications and Marketing.