Exhibition 'Kimonos from the Okura collection' in Rijksmuseum
Discover the colourful tales from 'No', one of Japan’s oldest forms theatrical forms, this autumn. On 21 October the Rijksmuseum unveils seven magnificent No theatre kimonos that exemplify the changes in No through the centuries.
No theatre originated in the fourteenth century and is a stylized Japanese dramatic form in which song, music and dance come together. The highlight of the presentation is a magnificent eighteenth-century kimono with embroidered moonflower tendrils on saffron-coloured woven silk damask.
The seven kimonos from the Okura Collection provide a representative overview of No theatre costumes. They give an impression of the colourful atmosphere that must have existed during No performances in the past. The leading man who slowly made his entrance, looming up in the half-darkness of the bridge to the main stage, with an abundance of fabrics decorated with gold, silver and contrasting colours glittering in the subdued light.
