Minneapolis Institute of Art

(Chōken with Pattern of Drifting Mist)

Japan

Date

19th century

Medium

Silk gauze-weave ground with gold embroidery

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Chōken is a silk robe with broad sleeves worn in Nō theater. Unlike a kimono, the underarms of the sleeves are left unsewn. This garment is primarily worn by actors playing women’s roles but is sometimes worn by those playing high-ranking warriors or male courtiers. Typically, a mist pattern is made from a series of connected, flattened clouds; here, they have been further reduced to parallel lines. Japan, Asia

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