Edo period (1615–1868) No robe with design of flowers of the four seasons 1800s The No theatre is central to samurai art and culture. It originated in the comedy plays performed at temples and developed into an intense expression of personal emotion, in which the main players represent the spirits of dead people or features of the natural world. They appear on stage to tell of their concerns and to be appeased. No theatre is also distinguished by the richness of the costumes of which this karaori, ‘Chinese weaving’ robe is a sumptuous example.