Oh No(h)! It’s A Mask!

Oh No(h)! It’s A Mask!

As per the historical records, Noh (deriving from the Sino-Japanese word for ‘skill’ or ‘talent’) is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14^th century. Often based on tales from traditional literature with a supernatural being transformed into human form as a hero narrating a story, this ancient art form utilizes masks. Originally, there were around 60 basic types of masks used during a performance. But, adding lot more variety, the number has increased quite a bit in the present times.

Noh Mask

According to legend, the Konparu School, which is considered to be the oldest tradition of Noh, was founded by Hata no Kawakatsu in the 6th century. However, the founder of the Konparu school, which is widely accepted among historians, was Bishaō Gon no Kami (Komparu Gonnokami) during Nanboku-chō period in the 14th century. According to the genealogical chart of the Konparu school, Bishaō Gon no Kami is a descendant after 53 generations of Hata no Kawakatsu. The Konparu school was descended from the sarugaku troupe which had played active roles in Kasuga-taisha and Kofuku-ji in Yamato Province.

Noh Mask of Konparu School 

Covering the face with a mask is considered part of a performer’s makeup. However, Noh performers feel that the mask has a certain power inherent in it which makes it much more spiritual than a prop used to change ones appearance. It is usually believed that - "A Noh mask is the face of an actor and can never be parted (from it). Actors puts them on inside the dressing room and the performance starts from there. Most people only see the performance on stage, but actors are already immersed in their roles from when they first face the mirror."

Different types of Noh Masks

Exactly when the noh mask came into being is not entirely clear, however it is believed that masks were developed from the mid to latter part of the Muromachi period (1392-1573). Previous to that time, the mask conventions were not entirely set and masks themselves had stronger religious connotations. It was during that particular period that the religious significance of the masks began to wane and they took on more human characteristics. It is thought that as performers started to think more about the use of yūgen (mysterious beauty) and profundity, they felt they needed to hide the unattractive aspects of their own faces and concentrate on making the beauty of noh stronger.

Cultural activities during the Muromachi Period

Between the end of the Muromachi period and the modern age the art of making noh masks was established as a hereditary art with a long lineage. Two prime exponents are the Deme family from Echizen (present day Fukui prefecture) and the Iseki family from Ohmi (present day Shiga prefecture). Following the establishment of these mask-making families, the stylization of the masks significantly advanced.

 

Some of the common types of Noh Masks are --

Okina (Old man masks) : This type of mask originated from sarugaku, the predecessor of noh, in the latter part of the Heian period. This is the oldest type of noh mask.

Jō (Elders masks) : Examples of this type are the Kojō, Asakurajō, Sankōjō and Waraijō masks. These masks are often used in the first half of first or second category noh when the shite is portraying a spirit.

Onna-men (Woman masks) : Categorized by age and character, these type of masks tend to be the most varied and popular masks.

Otoko-men (Man masks) : Heida, chūjō, jūroku, hatachi-amari, dōji, kasshiki, and yase-otoko are all examples of masks in this category which are classified according to social class and character.

Kishin (Demons) : These masks were developed early in noh’s history and are used for portraying demons, goblins or other worldly creatures. This category is divided into two main parts, tobide (fierce gods or demonic spirits) and beshimi (goblins and other creatures).

World's oldest Noh stage

 

This oriental art form caught the attention of many westerners. William Butler Yeats wrote an essay on Noh titled ‘Certain Noble Plays of Japan’ in 1916. As much as he tried to learn Noh, there were limited resources available in England at the time. The lack of complete understanding of Noh led him to create innovative works guided by his own imagination and what he fantasized Noh to be. He wrote four plays heavily influenced by Noh, using ghosts or supernatural beings as the central characters for the first time. The plays are ‘At the Hawk's Well’, ‘The Dreaming of the Bones’, ‘The Words upon the Window-Fane’ and ‘Purgatory’. 

'At the Hawk's Well' by Yeats

In 2001, Noh was named a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO, with some of the top practitioners now labeled "Intangible Cultural Assets" by the Japanese Government. Among them is Noh actor and mask carver Michishige Udaka, who founded the International Noh Institute in 1986. As well as publicizing and preserving the theater's traditions, Michishige is committed to discovering a generation of new performers.

Michishige Udaka

 

These Noh masks, carved from blocks of Japanese cypress and painted with natural pigments on a neutral base of glue and crunched seashell, recently came into news for a completely different kind of a reason. This type of mask has been worn by Lyutsifer Safin: the unknown, unhinged villain of ‘No Time To Die’. Unnervingly played by Rami Malek, Daniel Craig's final nemesis is perhaps the Bondverse's most evil – and its most enigmatic too. In almost every scene, his motives are unclear, his emotions are well hidden. So, the costume designer of the movie - Suttirat Anne Larlarb, picked such a mask for the character. And undoubtedly, the Noh mask did it's trick on screen. 

Noh-wearing Malek