3.Beautiful dresses of the Noh

Dresses that are used in the Noh are called the attire. The representative thing is used as the jacket and it is called "Karaori" Karaori is used by an actress of the woman position, and it may be said that it is the top-class in world stage costume in magnificence. The “Karaori” representing the Noh is high quality textile that weaved a pattern like embroidery with a thread which is various colors like autumn color. Especially, “Karaori” is the average clothing which is style called “the in kimono with no hakama on” of a woman appearing in the Noh.

 (The picture of  Karaori  image offer:the-noh.com)

In old days, Karaori was used by limited person like generals as attire and the Noh costume. The attire of Kanami , Zeami Era was said to have been the rusticity because using everyday clothes , but a gradually luxurious costumes came to be used because it was with a patron , a samurai family, the nobility and a family of the shogunate gave Noh actors and actress their clothes. Furthermore, it came to be given an important post as traditional dancing art combined with the gorgeous culture of Azuchi, Momoyama era. But, in this way, the attire which became the work of art “is not real” for a duty. So, the Noh expresses a duty stylistic and figuratively though attire.

The attire, “False head of hair” to add to a wig or ahead “Headdress” such as formal headwear for court nobles or the crown “Jacket” such as a Happi coat and Kariginu “The dressing” such as Surihaku and Noshime “Jacket or dressing for two uses” such as Karaori and Atsuita “Hakamas” such as a Sashinuki and Hankiri “The other accessory” such as Koshiobi and Koshimino, can classify in seven.

   The Noh costume does not project the duty realistically, but can read various information such as sex, age, social position, an occupation and the character if you know the combination of decided promise by a duty. For example, it is the rule by the color. In attire of woman, “Kouiri” which contains red with the attire express the young woman and “Kounashi” which does not contains red shows the middle-age woman. This applies to many things from wig to waistband as well as the “Karaori”. In addition, the color of a collar includes a rule. White is regarded as important as the color that is purity with the Noh, two pieces of white collar stacks become highest-ranking. The combination of design and colors in Noh costume is freedom if follow the rule.

References

http://www.nohgakuland.com/know/shouzoku/index.htm

http://www.the-noh.com/jp/sekai/costume.html