Noh Mask

MOA: University of British Columbia

3139/21 a-b

A carved wooden Noh mask of "Tsuzumi-akujo”. Painted stringy black hair at the top of its forehead. The skin is painted orange with red shadows with dark grey and gold teeth and fangs. It has a beard, moustache and eyebrows made from real white hair, and it has protruding gold eyes and a heavily lined face. There is a dark purple cord on the back of the mask attached through small holes at the temples. There are holes carved in the eyes, mouth and nostrils. The back of the mask is dark brown wood stamped with the maker’s mark, with Japanese characters hand-written on the back in gold. Part b is a fabric bag for part a, decorated with dark green and brown silk. The inside of the bag is white fabric written on with black ink Japanese characters. The bag closes with white cloth ties.


  • Type of Item mask
  • Culture Japanese
  • Material wood, paint, silk fibre, horse hair
  • Measurements height 2.0 cm, width 24.0 cm, depth 34.0 cm (part a) height 10.0 cm, width 16.7 cm, depth 30.0 cm (part b)

  • Previous Owner U.B.C. Centre for Japanese Research
  • Received from U.B.C. Centre for Japanese Research

  • Made in Japan

  • Ownership Date before October 1, 2015
  • Acquisition Date on October 1, 2015

  • Condition good
  • Accession Number 3139/0021 a-b