Marubeni is pleased to announce that the upcoming Marubeni Gallery exhibition Beauty in Formality: Exploring the Marubeni Collection’s Noh Robes will be held from September 25 to October 26, 2024. 

 

 

This exhibition explores a key category within the 400-plus pieces of Marubeni’s textile collection: robes used in Noh, a traditional Japanese performing art with centuries of history. Noh was first developed by Zeami, a performer, playwright, and theorist who lived during the Muromachi period (1336–1573); found favor primarily among warlords in the Momoyama period (1573–1573); and, during the Edo period (1603–1868), was highly regarded as a ceremonial art form (i.e., performing arts displayed at public ceremonies) for the samurai class, enjoying popularity among feudal lords (daimyo).

The Noh robes in the Marubeni Collection were originally acquired in the 1920s to the early 1930s, when Marubeni Shoten (the direct predecessor of the modern Marubeni) founded and supported the Meihin-kai, a study group tasked with collecting and researching traditional Japanese textiles and textile production techniques. In fact, the very first pieces the Meihin-kai acquired were Noh robes, which drew the group’s particular attention as a collective representation of the best traditional Japanese dyeing and weaving techniques. The Meihin-kai went on to acquire and study a wide range of Noh robes, including pieces from the early 17th century through to the early 20th century, to apply the ancient designs and techniques behind their creation to modern kimono production and sales.

The most exquisite of these Noh robes, as well as Noh accessories and selections from the National Noh Theater’s Noh mask collection, are featured in this exhibition, which offers insight into the profound Japanese sense of beauty hidden within them.

Exhibition Details:

Dates:	Wednesday, September 25 to Saturday, October 26, 2024
Hours:	10 am to 5 pm (Last admission: 4:30 pm)
Closed:	Sundays and public holidays
Admission:	General admission: 500 yen All proceeds from general admission sales will be donated to the Marubeni Foundation. Note 1: The Marubeni Gallery is only able to accept cashless payments (such as transportation IC cards, credit cards, and QR code payments).  Note 2: Admission is free for the following groups. ・ Children under 18 and 18/19-year-old senior high school students (with student ID) ・ Visitors with an official disability certificate, plus one accompanying caregiver ・ Visitors wearing a kimono, yukata, or other traditional Japanese attire
Organizer:	Marubeni Gallery

About the Marubeni Gallery:
Designed under the concept of “a space where the aesthetics of the East and West in ancient and modern times resonate with each other,” the Marubeni Gallery is a facility where Marubeni’s art collection is on display to the public. Marubeni’s art collection consists of the three main categories: textiles (such as kimono, Noh robes, and fabric fragments), textile designs, and paintings. Since its founding in 1858, Marubeni has pursued the aesthetic beauty of Japan through its textile business. This resulted in the collection and preservation of ancient textile products (such as kimono, obi, and silk gift-wrapping cloth) and designs primarily from the 17th to mid-19th centuries—the first and second pillars of the collection. Gaining contacts in the art world through this pursuit of textile designs, Marubeni also acquired modern Japanese paintings through art dealers or from the artists themselves. Later, in the 1960s and 70s, Marubeni expanded into the international art business, acquiring Western paintings as well. Together, these Japanese and Western paintings form the third pillar of the collection. Since its opening in 2021, the Marubeni Gallery has featured rotating exhibitions on a variety of themes to share this collection and other works of historical and cultural value with the public.

Official Website:    https://www.marubeni.com/gallery/en/
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Future Exhibits (Tentative Titles/Details):
The Quilt Art of Yawatagaki Mutsuko: The Metamorphosis of Ancient Fabric Fragments (November 26 to December 21, 2024)
Spring Festival Special Exhibition－Botticelli: “La Bella Simonetta”－ (March 18 to May 24, 2025)