"Nô" theatre mask "hannya"
Description
light wood, dyed in white and brown, remains of red pigment, grotesquely distorted face with a huge snarling snout, the head carved with horns, metal eyes with pierced pupils, slightly dam., rest., abrasion of paint;
the “hannya” mask represents the classical devil mask, closely linked with the idea of a female demon. Nightmares, diseases, vice but above all jealousy are depicted in shape of the devils mask.
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 demons, as well as masks for divinities. In most cases they were carved from the wood of japanese cypress. Traditional themes were taken from japanese mythology or literature.