DOI issue:
No. 371 (February 1924)
DOI article:[Notes: two hundred and twenty-one illustrations]
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21399#0135
TOKYO
TOKYO.—By the death of Kiyotoki-
Shimomura on May 29th, 1922, at the
age of fifty-five, not only Nippon, but the
world at large, lost a master carver of noh
masks, a branch of art peculiarly Japanese
in spirit. On account of the important
position held by his family for generations
in noh drama he was given rare oppor-
tunities of studying at close hand famous
masks by old masters which were very
rarely permitted to be seen except when
they were worn on the noh stage. Not only
that, but he had had a severe yet kind
criticism on his work by Hosho-Kuro, a
great authority on the noh, which spurred
him on until at last he grasped the spirit
of this unique art, and was able to produce
masks that could favourably be compared
with those of ancient masters. 0 0
The noh masks, known in Nippon as
Noh-men or Omote (the former means
“ noh-masks ” and the latter literally means
“ front ” or “ face ”) constitute a very
important accessory to the noh. They are
worn by the principal character and his
associate. Great masters for centuries have
studied different characters appearing in
noh pieces and formulated a suitable mask
for each character or each set of similar
characters. The mask is not only a sort of
generalisation of the character of the per-
son or spirit it represents so that the face
is in accord with his varying moods but it
must emphasise its strong characteristics
sufficiently to give force to the outburst of
intense feeling that occurs in the course of
the performance. In fact, each mask must
be so carved as to hold latent in it all the
characteristics of the person it represents
so that the actor may be able, by gait and
gesture, to bring forth hidden qualities and
emotions in varying intensities required. In
order to aid the appreciation of the masks
shown in the accompanying reproductions
the character wearing each mask is briefly
suggested below -.0000
“ Okina.”—The principal character in
the piece called “ Okina,” said to be
the personification of Amaterasu, “ The
Heaven-Shiner,” wears this mask and
dances in a prayer for peace under heaven
and goodwill among men. It is con-
sidered to be the most sacred of noh
pieces, and prior to the performance the
Okina ” mask is placed in reverence in
the green room with proper offerings of
sake (rice wine), etc. 0000
“Kojo” is a kind of omote classified under
“ Jomen.” “ Kojo ” is worn by the elderly
man, for example, in the piece "Taka-
Sclgo/* 000a1 0 &
“Kawazu.” — Classed among man’s
masks. “ Kawazu ” is worn, for instance, by
the ghost in the piece " Utow ” or by the
fisherman's ghost in “ Akogi.” In the
former, the ghost of a hunter, who used to
kill birds on the beach of Soto by deceiving
them with his cries, is shown in torment in
the after life. In the latter is shown the
suffering in the after life of a fisherman who
was sunk into the sea alive in punishment
for casting nets in the sacred forbidden sea
of Akogi. 00000
“ Kagekiyo.”—This omote is worn by
the hero of the piece named “ Kagekiyo.”
It was the sad lot of Kagekiyo, the brave
warrior of the Taira clan, to be exiled and
be reduced to a blind beggar monk. 0
“ Yase-onna ” (thin woman) is worn by
the heroine in “ Kinuta ” who dies longing
for the return of her husband from the
capital where public duty detains him for
years. The omote shows a woman's face in
sorrow of an intense conjugal love un-
answered. This omote is also used by the
heroine in “ Teika ” which deals with the
love affairs between Teika, a famous poet,
and a beautiful princess, whom he loved
passionately and who died young. 0
“ Masugami.”—This is worn by the
principal character in “ Tama Kazura,”
appearing as a ghost of a beautiful woman
who relates to a priest how, fleeing from
designing hands, she met a friend at the
temple at Hatsusegawa by the mercy of the
Kwannon (Goddess of Mercy) and was
taken to a place of safety and hap-
piness. 000000
“ Chujo.”—This is worn by the ghost
of Narihira in the piece entitled “Unryuin”
appearing to Kinmitsu, who was a fond
reader of “ Ise Mono Gatari,” and ex-
plaining to him the secret meaning of
passages in that book. It is also used by
Michinori in the piece bearing his name
in which the spirit of the dead warrior
appears to a priest at the incantation of
Buddhist sutra and relates his valour in
the last fight at Ichinotani. 0 0
Jiro Harada.
117
TOKYO.—By the death of Kiyotoki-
Shimomura on May 29th, 1922, at the
age of fifty-five, not only Nippon, but the
world at large, lost a master carver of noh
masks, a branch of art peculiarly Japanese
in spirit. On account of the important
position held by his family for generations
in noh drama he was given rare oppor-
tunities of studying at close hand famous
masks by old masters which were very
rarely permitted to be seen except when
they were worn on the noh stage. Not only
that, but he had had a severe yet kind
criticism on his work by Hosho-Kuro, a
great authority on the noh, which spurred
him on until at last he grasped the spirit
of this unique art, and was able to produce
masks that could favourably be compared
with those of ancient masters. 0 0
The noh masks, known in Nippon as
Noh-men or Omote (the former means
“ noh-masks ” and the latter literally means
“ front ” or “ face ”) constitute a very
important accessory to the noh. They are
worn by the principal character and his
associate. Great masters for centuries have
studied different characters appearing in
noh pieces and formulated a suitable mask
for each character or each set of similar
characters. The mask is not only a sort of
generalisation of the character of the per-
son or spirit it represents so that the face
is in accord with his varying moods but it
must emphasise its strong characteristics
sufficiently to give force to the outburst of
intense feeling that occurs in the course of
the performance. In fact, each mask must
be so carved as to hold latent in it all the
characteristics of the person it represents
so that the actor may be able, by gait and
gesture, to bring forth hidden qualities and
emotions in varying intensities required. In
order to aid the appreciation of the masks
shown in the accompanying reproductions
the character wearing each mask is briefly
suggested below -.0000
“ Okina.”—The principal character in
the piece called “ Okina,” said to be
the personification of Amaterasu, “ The
Heaven-Shiner,” wears this mask and
dances in a prayer for peace under heaven
and goodwill among men. It is con-
sidered to be the most sacred of noh
pieces, and prior to the performance the
Okina ” mask is placed in reverence in
the green room with proper offerings of
sake (rice wine), etc. 0000
“Kojo” is a kind of omote classified under
“ Jomen.” “ Kojo ” is worn by the elderly
man, for example, in the piece "Taka-
Sclgo/* 000a1 0 &
“Kawazu.” — Classed among man’s
masks. “ Kawazu ” is worn, for instance, by
the ghost in the piece " Utow ” or by the
fisherman's ghost in “ Akogi.” In the
former, the ghost of a hunter, who used to
kill birds on the beach of Soto by deceiving
them with his cries, is shown in torment in
the after life. In the latter is shown the
suffering in the after life of a fisherman who
was sunk into the sea alive in punishment
for casting nets in the sacred forbidden sea
of Akogi. 00000
“ Kagekiyo.”—This omote is worn by
the hero of the piece named “ Kagekiyo.”
It was the sad lot of Kagekiyo, the brave
warrior of the Taira clan, to be exiled and
be reduced to a blind beggar monk. 0
“ Yase-onna ” (thin woman) is worn by
the heroine in “ Kinuta ” who dies longing
for the return of her husband from the
capital where public duty detains him for
years. The omote shows a woman's face in
sorrow of an intense conjugal love un-
answered. This omote is also used by the
heroine in “ Teika ” which deals with the
love affairs between Teika, a famous poet,
and a beautiful princess, whom he loved
passionately and who died young. 0
“ Masugami.”—This is worn by the
principal character in “ Tama Kazura,”
appearing as a ghost of a beautiful woman
who relates to a priest how, fleeing from
designing hands, she met a friend at the
temple at Hatsusegawa by the mercy of the
Kwannon (Goddess of Mercy) and was
taken to a place of safety and hap-
piness. 000000
“ Chujo.”—This is worn by the ghost
of Narihira in the piece entitled “Unryuin”
appearing to Kinmitsu, who was a fond
reader of “ Ise Mono Gatari,” and ex-
plaining to him the secret meaning of
passages in that book. It is also used by
Michinori in the piece bearing his name
in which the spirit of the dead warrior
appears to a priest at the incantation of
Buddhist sutra and relates his valour in
the last fight at Ichinotani. 0 0
Jiro Harada.
117