A wide silk robe hung with its sleeves straight out. The coat is patterned with large checkered squares that are tan, blue, purple, orange. There is also a thin, golden geometric pattern all over. Large embroidered flowers and leaves go across the sleeves and along the bottom hem.

Nō Robe (Karaori) with Decoration of Irises over an Alternating-Color Block Ground with Basketweave Pattern

Japanese

This magnificent robe decorated with irises was made as a costume for young female roles in the aristocratic all-male Nō theater. Silk threads resist-dyed in alternating colors of blue, lavender, and orange were woven into a fabric that created color blocks in a large checkerboard-like fashion. Supplementary wefts of gold were interwoven into the main fabric to create a complex basketweave pattern. Multicolored silk threads were utlized to embroider images of iris blossoms and leaves over the color-block and basketweave patterns.

Multicolored ikat-dyed silk with patterning in supplementary gold wefts; floral motifs embroidered with polychrome silk threads

Edo period, 1615-1868

Textile Arts