Noh Actor in the role of Hagoromo193947 1/4 x 13 7/8 inches (120 x 35.3 cm)Hanging scroll: ink, colors and gold on silkGift of Marjorie Henricksen2008.100.0040Paintings20655243102Ono RyuhoOno Ryuho was the student of Araki Juppo (1872–1944) and would have been working in the 1920s and 1930s, the probable date of this painting. In the 1930s Japanese society began to emphasize the unique qualities of its culture and history, and this trend slowly supplanted the movement toward Westernization that had been so characteristic of late Meiji and early Taisho culture. The end result was the strong nationalism that was the motive force behind Japanese expansion and World War II.
No was the classic drama of Japan, and stood in contrast to the Kabuki or puppet theaters, both of which attracted a more plebian audience. This small image is almost iconic in its representation of the male actor playing the role of a lady of the Heian period. The role is that of Hagoromo, the angel-ic character in the play of that name by Seami. The story is about Hakuryo, a fisherman, who finds the feather robe of a heavenly maiden and refuses to return it.
Confronted with the maiden’s suffering and imminent death, he does finally return it on condition that the maiden perform a dance. Overjoyed, she complies. The pattern on the robe is of long feathers, suggestive of the miraculous powers of the angelic being.