Approximately, there is about 450 different noh masks. Most we see in majority of plays are variations of only sixty. Due to such a variety, it makes it difficult for scholars, let alone the audience to make decipher each classification. Hannya is a famous example of the masks changing for one character. This story is where an elderly woman transforms into a snake demon. However, if one is not looking closely or having prior knowledge, the snake demon mask can be mistaken easily for most other demon masks worn by female characters. Most scholars and performers categorize masks into five general categories.
“1.Okina(and all masks used for the “three rites,” shikisanban)
2.Demon
3. Old Men(jo)
4. Men
5.Women”
The term Okina was generally used as a very generic term for old man.
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However, it was said that the Okina mask can be a face of a god. Okina masks typically look like an older gentleman’s face. It has wrinkles and a broad smile. The old man has wisps of a mustache whiskers which lie under his nose. Usually, the mask also has a trailing white goatee to indicate a grandfather like appearance. However, even with the expression of a grandfather, the Okina mask characteristics gives off an air of mystery and oddness. This is due to the features of the mask that could be described as a little off for human features. The smile of the Okina is almost too wide to be a smile for a human old man. The lines on the face are also more symmetrical than human features would seem. Even the eyebrows on the mask is hard to compare to the eyebrows of a mortal man. There is also other masks characteristics that fall under the Okina category as well. One such mask that varies from other Noh masks is the Okina that has a detached jaw (kiri ago). This lower jaw is tied to the upper jaw by twine or string at either side of the lips on the mask. This unique feature could be an evolution from the earlier Bugaku masks of the Heian period. This type of expression can be seen in many works of art depicting a god or deity. One such modern example, is in a cartoon movie by Hayao Miyazaki. This movie is called Spirited Away. In the movie, the main character helps a god who has the very similar facial mask as described for the Okina mask. The Demon mask category is divided into two areas. There are the masks that have an open mouth. Examples of this are tobide or the “buldge” and kurohige masks. Kurohige masks are masks that have black beard features. The other area is the masks with closed mouths. Just this mouth feature can depict such a range of emotions. These come is different varieties of frowning ( beshimi) masks. There is also masks for heavenly beings (tenjin), Buddhist deities such a Fudo Myo’o, and lion-dog mouth (shishiguchi). All of these masks fall under a third category of miscellaneous demon masks. The old man category of masks is also known as Jo. Jo masks have a multifaceted blend of both human and demonic features. The masks are usually differentiated by the expressions of the masks. These masks have such a range of emotion displayed in one category. “The more malevolent jo masks include the large and small versions of the ‘ ‘frowning evil man’(beshimi akujo), and the ‘evil man with a swollen nose’ (hanakobu akujo).
The mask called the ‘laughing old man’ (waraijo) and the
‘dancing old man’ (maijo) reveal more malevolent features. The sankojo and ishijo masks are traditionally attributed to carvers Sankobo and Ishiohyoe.”
The masks for the men category have quite a range of ages and emotions. There are two well- known masks called doji and jido. These masks are deities that take on the form of young, human boys. Juroku and imawaka are masks that represent more adolescent males and are usually used for scenes where the character is a young warrior that meets an early death. A heida mask is worn when depicting a warrior who is killed when he is of full maturity. The next mask is the ayakashi. It is used to show a slain warrior. This mask is similar to the heida mask except it often displays a greater malevolence and revenge expression. There is also a set of masks used to depict a starving or onset of death role. Actors even have access to masks to depict blindness called Semimaru and Yoroboshi. These, however, are more
specialized. The last set of masks is of the women. These come in even more of a variety than the other categories. They range from girls to grandmothers, to even female deities. The best known noh mask is that of a female role. This role is the ko’omote mask for roles of beautiful women. The next section of masks are the ones that depict women in their middle aged years. These are called fukai and shakumi. The elderly roles for women are shown with masks called uba or rojo. Uba means granny and rojo means old women. An example of all of these masks are used in plays such as Ono no Komachi. The most interesting masks for women could be the deigan or masukami. Deigan can be translated as “mud eyes”. Masukami is translated as “ long hair”. Usually both of these masks are used to describe role of a suffering and deranged woman. Besides the masks, the music and dancing play key roles in noh, and it is the combination of dance and chant that make the prominent art form it is today. However, the masks of noh drama are what make this spectacular art form unique and beautiful. Noh has a power to take an art form of wearing masks and the characters still have the ability to portray a vast range of emotions. Due to its contrasting elements to western culture theater, Noh is a performing art that most westerners should experience. It is an art form that all ages can enjoy. The Edo period truly created some of the most wonderful performing arts. Hopefully, in the future, I can be able to experience noh drama in person.
A mask makes one unknown, unrecognized, and mysterious. When the first mask was put on, Jack "looked no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger" (Golding page #). At the formation of Jack's tribe, all who join wear a mask from that time on and become a part of the savages. As three savages return to steal fire, they are driven because they are "demoniac figures with faces of white and red" (Golding page #) not individual boys. The mask becomes such an anonymous symbol that, towards the end of the story, Ralph "gazed at the green and black mask before him trying to remember what Jack looked like" (Golding page #). Whether stealing, fighting, or hunting, the savages found their courage because they "looked like something else" "hidden behind the mask of paint" (Golding page #).
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mask that has a weird melted look. It is what the shaman dreams about when he is
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his appearance and wears different masks to tune up to different people. His first mask is the one
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