Title
Suikoju: Gigaku Mask, 710-794. Creator: Unknown.
Caption
Suikoju: Gigaku Mask, 710-794. Gigaku, a ceremonial dance popular during the Nara period, often drew on Japanese folklore as well as Buddhist stories. This particular mask relates to the comic story of King Suiko and his travails. With its comic expression, this mask depicts one of the eight drunken attendants of the king. These attendants would appear at the end of the play, engaging in a humorous dance called the harameki. While the mask would cover the entire head of the actor, there are slots for the eyebrows, eyes, and mouth.
Credit line
Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art
Reference
HRM19G08_294
Model release
NA
Property release
NA
License type
Rights managed
Available size
65,4Mb (3,8Mb) / 13,5in x 18,8in / 4042 x 5654 (300dpi)