Noh theatre is a mid-14th century Japanese art form that fused narrative religious, performance, popular dance, and musical entertainment. Noh composers drew on Buddhist and Shinto stories and classical poetry to explore human emotions through subtle and complex performances. Noh performances could last an entire day and included many short humorous segments. Performers wore masks to convey specific characters and are immediately recognizable to those familiar with the story being told.
The paintings are from a collection of scenes depicting specific stories.
