A nuihaku is a pliant, full-length costume for the Noh theater usually worn by actors playing the roles of women or young men. The term nuihaku is a compound word made up of two textile techniques: embroidery (nui) and application of metallic leaf (haku). On this robe, the embroidered design consists of scattered sprays of ripe millet and nandina plants with their characteristic red berries, while applied gold leaf defines alternating blocks of pine branches and zither (koto) bridges. All four motifs have auspicious symbolism in Japanese art.