I've been wanting to upload these for a while as I received this book for christmas, unfortunately my scanner is refusing to work so I took some photos instead. 'Arts & Crafts of Japan' is a great collection of masks used in Gigaku, Bugaku, Gyodo, Kyogen and Noh, the meanings of which I've explained briefly below.
Gigaku
The masks used in this dance-drama are amongst the oldest surviving masks in the entire world, the first record of Gigaku performances date back to the year 612. This tradition has roots in central China and the word Gigaku means 'skillful music', though it no longer exists today.
Bugaku
Though Bugaku dances are much more complicated they were also ultimately more popular too. This part of Japanese culture contributed to the demise of Gigaku, as unlike Gigaku it is still performed today. Bugaku was originally a series of danses from areas outside of China collected by the T'ang Emperors and introduced to Japan in the Nara period (645-794).
Gyodo
Unlike the above, Gyodo is a ceremony and not for entertainment purposes. The event consists of a procession where a holy image is paraded through the streets but kept unseen in a palanquin, the pole bearers of which wore masks like those below.
Kyogen
Kyogen is the comedy of Japanese theatre and contrasts with it's sister art of Noh. In present day Japan, five Noh plays will be divided by three Kyogen comic interludes and focuses on broad gestures and mimicry. The idea of the exaggerated expressions of the masks was to encourage laughter from the audience. The mask on the bottom right is used in the Tsuina ceremony, consisting of the scattering of beans to drive out devils on the eve of the first day of spring.
Noh
A form of entertainment based around drama and tragedy with profound and refined qualities to the masks. I've mentioned Noh masks in a previous post, featuring photographs I took at the V&A Museum and they can be viewed here.
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