Untitled

Unknown

17th century · Silk · Asian Art

This textile fragment features a pattern with a stylized fence or lattice and moonflowers (yūgao; literally, “evening faces”) of various colors against a white ground. Originally, it may have been part of a Noh theater costume. The moonflower plays a role in chapter 4 of The Tale of Genji, “The Lady of the Evening Faces.” Collecting textile samples as a kind of visual dictionary of motifs and a resource for technical analysis was common among Western collectors in Moore’s era.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th century

Medium

Silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891