wakaonna　若女

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

"Young girl." A noh mask, *noumen 能面, representing a young woman. The mature expression can be seen in the clear eyes, high forehead (not as broad as *koomote 小面 or *magojirou 孫次郎), lingering smile and smooth cheeks. The oval outlines of the face and wide-set eyes, thin, high eyebrows and hair style (two loose strands eminating at the part and pulled back above the eyebrows where three new strands begin to fall down along the side of the cheek, and three extra strands loop across the juncture) are almost identicle with *fushikizou 節木増, a young woman's mask used by the Houshou 宝生 school. The Kanze 観世 school owns several fine examples and uses this mask type, documented as being first carved by the master Kawachi Daijou Ieshige 河内大掾家重 (active 1645), for main shite シテ roles of young women, particularly in third category "wig" plays, such as EGUCHI 江口, NONOMIYA 野宮, or *IZUTSU 井筒. Apparently, before Kawachi created the model mask, the Kanze school used the older *fukai 深井 mask for young women's roles.

REFERENCES:

* manbi 万媚, *oumionna 近江女.

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NOTES:

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