manbi　万媚

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

A noh mask *noumen 能面 representing a young woman in her first bloom. Very similar to *koomote 小面, the mask has full cheeks, thick, high eyebrows, a broad smile and heavy chin. Manbi's eyes are less slanted and more outgoing than koomote's, lending the mask a flirtatious charm. The painting is similar to that of koomote, except that the incised strands of hair at the edge have only two main strands, thickening towards the bottom, and one splitting half way down the cheek. The mask is said to have been created during the Momoyama period as a joint effort of the noh connoisseur at Nishihonganji 西本願寺, Shimotsuma Shoushin 下間少進, and a noh mask carver of the Echizen Deme 越前出目 line, Kogensuke Hidemitsu 小源助秀満 for the Konparu 金春 school as an alternative to koomote for shite シテ (main) roles of young women in such plays as MATSUKAZE 松風 (Pining Wind) and SOUSHIARAI KOMACHI 草子洗小町 (Komachi and the Forged Entry). Kogensuke Hidemitsu is known as the inventor of such aids to copying old masks as creating cut-out patterns and applying "aging" furubi 古美 to the outer edges of the features. Compare to *magojirou 孫次郎, *wakaonna 若女, *fushikizou 節木増, *oumionna 近江女.

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