Nō Mask of Ōbeshimi
Location
Era
Edo period (1615-1868)
Title
Nō Mask of Ōbeshimi
Date
Probably 18th-19th c.
Materials
Carved wood, lacquer
Dimensions
20.8 x 14.3 cm
Credits
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald W. Birks, inv. 1949.50.Ee.3
Collection
Archeology and World Cultures
The ōbeshimi mask portrays a type of demon, the tengu, an imaginary creature, part-bird, part-human, with supernatural power. With its mouth clenched and eyes bulging out, it represents the arrogance and threatening power of the tengu, who often acts against the moral code of Buddhism.
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