Mask Maker [Sekino Kakusei (Kakusei)] Work "Ko-omote" Female mask exhibiting gentle elegance, with original box

Noh mask Ko-omote carved and colored by master craftsman Sekino Kakusei (鶴聲), a female mask exuding gentle elegance. Comes with original box and luxurious mask bag.

Authenticity ! This is a Ko-omote Noh mask carved and colored by master craftsman Sekino Kakusei (1897-1993). Sekino dedicated himself to mask making from around 1945, actively exhibiting his works through solo exhibitions held annually in Tokyo. He even crafted his own brushes, and his meticulous attention to detail, applying up to thirty layers of lacquer, meant that it could take him up to six months to complete a single mask.

This female mask features a beautiful face with plump cheeks and almond-shaped eyes. The slightly upturned corners of its small mouth and the hint of blackened teeth suggest the fresh beauty of a young woman. Furthermore, the sharply carved lower eyelids and lips, along with a slender nose, accentuate its refined features. The gentle, fleshy, and meticulously carved details imbue the innocent expression with vitality. The mask masterfully captures the subtle emotional expressions of teru (bright) and kumo ru (cloudy) – characteristic of Noh masks – through the advanced technique of slightly varying the depth of the carving on the upper and lower eyelids. This intermediate expression, a hallmark of Noh masks, is vividly conveyed through subtle movements and angles. Its unparalleled, mysterious beauty, even possessing a certain unapproachability, is sure to captivate anyone who beholds it.

Features a gold inscription on the back. Comes with its original box and mask bag.

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