The Masks of Japan

Masks are prevalent in many cultures. It is our human nature to wish to transend our own existance and masks provide a vehicle to make that transformation. The mask is the perfect medium to disguise our true nature, if only momentarily. Recently there were two exhibitions in here in Los Angeles, one about festivals, the other about the art and artifacts of noh and kyogen plays. One common element in both is the use of masks, which prompted this quarter's article: The Masks of Japan.

Throughout Japan's history, masks have been used in rituals and performances. The performer dons a mask representing a certain individual, hero, deity, devil, ghost, or legendary animal, depending on the ritual or performance. Masks have been used in Japan since the Jomon period (10,000 BC- 300BC). Some of these masks were formed from clay, others were made of cloth. It is unclear as to the use of these masks other than they played a part in some forms of magic or shamanistic rituals of those times. They may have been used to cover the faces of the dead or used as talismans to deflect malevolent spirits. There is some speculation that perhaps they were votive offerings used to treat medical problems. The subsequent Yayoi (300BC -AD 300) and Kofun periods (300 - 552) appear to be a slack period from the lack of artifacts related to masks. There is a mask fragment that has been dated to the Kofun period. The fragment is a different wood and constructed differently compared to later gigaku masks. So it is unlikely that these periods were completely devoid of masks.

The masks that we are the most familiar with are those used in dance, theater, festivals, and Shinto and Buddhist rituals. Many of these masks were used in ritualized and religious traditions, specifically Buddhist, which were brought from the mainland of Asia. Masks are made from a number of different materials such as: clay, dry lacquer, cloth, paper and wood. The majority of masks are carved from wood and are painted with a layer of lacquer, and most are primed with a kaolin clay cover with polychromatic pigments.

The masks were originally carved from wood, but about 100 years ago new methods using paper and ground seashell began to be used. Like most Japanese crafts, making masks involves dozens of steps and can take several weeks to complete.

The masks are also put up in the entrance of peoples houses to drive away evil spirits and bad luck.

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