Noh robe (Atsuita)
Not on view
The term atsuita originally referred to luxurious fabrics imported from China. In the Muromachi period (1392–1573), warlords acquired these expensive fabrics through private trade and presented them to Noh actors. Later, Noh costumes also came to be called atsuita. From the late sixteenth century, twill-weave atsuita fabrics and robes were produced in Japan. Usually worn under overcoats by leading male actors playing roles such as warlords, gods, and demons, they typically feature designs of repetitive geometric patterns, including checkered compositions, horizontal bands, and stripes. This rare, elegant eighteenth-century example is decorated with foliate arabesques, clematis, and maple leaves, in addition to geometric patterns.
