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Asakurajô (Old Man Asakura) Noh mask

A work made of japanese cypress, colors, and horsehair.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of japanese cypress, colors, and horsehair.

Date:

16th century

Artist:

Japan

About this artwork

Asakurajô masks are used for older male roles such as woodcutters, fishermen, and ferrymen. The gaunt face and pronounced wrinkles point to a life of hard work. Little of the white pigment that once covered the face remains, while red pigment on the lips can still be discerned.

The name of the mask may have originated when a similar mask was given to Lord Asakura Takakage (1493–1546), daimyo of a region in what is today western Shizuoka. One account claims that the mask may even have resembled him.

Status

On View, Gallery 103

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Asakurajô (Old Man Asakura) Noh mask

Place

Japan (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1501–1599

Medium

Japanese cypress, colors, and horsehair

Credit Line

Frederick W. Gookin Memorial Collection

Reference Number

1936.150

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/22591/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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