Netsuke: "kyogen" mask "okame" ·  Japan · ID: 3039266

Description

ivory, black paint, laughing well-fed face, signature on reverse;
many mask netsuke derive from the classic “no” and “kyogen” theatre mask types. Present one is a depiction of the shintoistic goddess “okame” or “uzume” who is considered to be the Goddess of mirth. She is the female half of a traditional Japanese “kyogen” theatre pair and is frequently seen in Japanese art in general. “Kyogen” was performed as an intermission of sorts between “no” acts. However, its content is not at all similar to the formal, symbolic, and solemn “no” theatre. “Kyogen” is a comic form, and its primary goal is to make its audience laugh.

The object Netsuke: “kyogen” mask “okame” with the object ID 3039266 was part of the auction 81st Tribal Art Auction on October 31, 2015. The object with the lot number 22 achieved a sales price of EUR 260 with an asking price of EUR 200.

You can find more Masks and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on Asian art.