H x W x D (overall): 19.5 x 12.5 x 6.2 cm (7 11/16 x 4 15/16 x 2 7/16 in)
Type:
Mask
Origin:
Japan
Date:
16th-17th century
Period:
Muromachi through Edo period
Label:
The use of masks in dance, court ritual, processions, and religious ceremonies expanded and flourished under the patronage of the Japanese imperial court during the seventh and eighth centuries, when a wide variety of performance, dance, and musical forms reached Japan from Korea, China, Southeast and West Asia. The elaborate carved and polychromed wood masks for these performances were probably produced by the sculptors of Buddhist icons, but in later periods, mask carving became a specialized skill that was often fostered within families.
This mask portraying a woman has the unusual feature of square-cut openings for the eyes. The mask was used for dramatic performances in a Shinto shrine.
Provenance:
To 2003
Seymour J. Janow, Washington, DC, acquired in Japan, to 2003 [1]
From 2003
Freer Gallery of Art, given by the family of Seymour J. Janow in 2003
Notes:
[1] According to Curatorial Note 1, Ann Yonemura, September 30, 2003, in the object record.
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
The Way of the Kami (May 11 to November 3, 2019)
The Historical Buddha and Friends (November 3, 2018 to May 5, 2019)
