Semimaru Noh Mask

• Noh mask complete with brocade box and bag, depicting a born-blind prince, son of Emperor Daigo according to legendNoble, refined and melancholy face.
• Calm expression, imbued with resignation and sadness.
• The eyes are represented by very narrow slits, evoking the character's blindness.
• In contrast to Yoroboshi's mask(another blind character in the repertoire), the hair and features remain orderly and aristocratic, emphasizing his imperial origin.

A Noh peculiarity

Semimaru is one of what specialists sometimes refer to as the "three blind men" of the Noh (Semimaru, Yoroboshi and Kagekiyo), who are exceptions to the rule that living male characters are often played without masks.

Symbolic significance

The mask expresses less blindness itself than Semimaru's condition:

• exile,
• acceptance of fate,
• internal nobility despite adversity,
• Buddhist impermanence

  The story

  The play tells of the meeting between:

  • Semimaru, an exiled blind prince,
  • his sister Sakagami, who suffers from mental disorders and wanders the mountains.

  Theirs is a brief but deeply moving encounter, exploring themes of impermanence, suffering and family ties.

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