Mask of the "No" theatre

Description

light wood, polychrome paint, male face, finely dashed hair, min. dam., paint rubbed off in parts.
The “no” mask are called “no-men” or “omote” (= “face”). The traditional “no-theatre” came into being in the 14th century. In the course of time about 250 different mask types for the depiction of different characters have been developed. There are masks for women and men, monsters and deamons, as well as masks for divinities. In most cases they were carved from the wood of japanese cypress. Traditional themes were taken from japanese or chinese mythology or literature.