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Japanese Oni mask Japan 14 inches, lacquered composite, glass eyes It looks like an angry Samurai to me, but it is probably some kind of Oni, or demon. This is a large piece that should be highly prized by collectors. Wonderful musculature, and even some blood vessels showing. A few cracks, chips, and hair loss, but still in good, solid condition for an older mask.
A visitor wrote, "My
wife, who is Japanese, said it reminded her of the kind of Oni
that her parents told her would come and get her if she was a
bad girl! The face is a "Gaijin" (foreigner) which would
probably have fit general impressions of 'outsiders' during the
Meiji era."
All Japanese masks that are sold to the general public are meant for families to hang in their houses for decoration and/or to ward off evil spirits. Occasionally they were made this size to fill up a larger wall space in a rich person’s home. Older masks worn by actors do not make it to the market. They either wear out or are kept by the families, or if in still in good condition, wind up in Japanese museums. |
