No Mask for the Role of Yase onna, Deme Yūkan Mitsuyasu, c. 1600 - in or before 1652
wood, pigment, h 21.2cm × w 14.3cm × d 6.6cm More details
This mask worn in Japanese No theatre belongs to the character Yase onna, ‘Emaciated Woman’. This is the spirit of a woman who suffered a tragic love affair during her life, and whose soul is tormented by the great loss of her lover. The mask’s subtle rendering of her expression in no way diminishes its intensity.
