Description
Carved wooden mask from the Noh theatre signed Tomowo Arita. Showa era. This Noh mask represents a ghost suffering in hell. The emaciated face of a miserable sinner is expressed impressively by the hollow cheeks and the deep-set eyes. Great patina, carving and stains.
Noh masks have long been an integral part of Japan’s religious rituals, festivals and theatre. They represent historical figures and spirits referred to as kami, which have their origins in Japan’s indigenous beliefs. Traditionally, the mask symbolised ‘possession’, transforming the wearer into the kami or its human incarnation.
1:1 scale (20 x 15 cm aprox.)
