Ko Omote Noh Mask

An exemplary carved wooden Ko-Omote (小面)　mask, representing the archetypal young woman of classical Noh theatre. The visage displays the refined characteristics of idealised feminine beauty: lustrous white complexion, meticulously formed and pigmented eyebrows, elegantly coiffured hair, and the courtly tradition of ohaguro (お歯黒) blackened teeth. Many old Noh masks have been restored, sometimes completely repainted. This one, although showing no restoration work, retains its original polychromy and displays only the patina of age consistent with ritual use. The signature and seal of the carver on the reverse are unfortunately  not very  leagable we could translate it as narikuni saku (saku means made by . the change of colour on the pictures depending if there is a spotlight focused on the mask or not  it looks more grey in natutal light