Mask "rangryo" for the "bugaku" dance

Description

wood, black lacquer, gilt and polychrome painted, animal hair, silk cord, eyeballs and lower jaw separately worked, signed and dated “April Showa 8 (1933) - Kaoru Takebayashi” on reverse

“Bugaku” is a traditional Japanese (court) dance that has been performed for over twelve hundred years, mainly at the Japanese imperial court.

“Rangryo” depicts a prince who was known for his beauty, but couldn’t stand up to his enemies. In battle he is said to have worn a particularly frightening mask, crowned by a dragon, to instill fear in his enemies and hide his face.