Mask for the Noh Play Okina

Shibata Zeshin Japanese

Not on view

The Noh play Okina is a sacred rite in which actors perform as divine characters who dance for peace, prosperity, and safety across the land.While the character Senzai dances, the shite (lead actor) puts on the mask of Okina to transform into a deity. The mask shown here peers out from a brocaded silk mask bag embellished with the auspicious motifs of tortoiseshell patterns and crane roundels.

Mask for the Noh Play Okina, Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891), Hanging scroll; pigments, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, gold foil, and ink on paper , Japan

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Mask for the Noh Play Okina, Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891), Hanging scroll; pigments, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, gold foil, and ink on paper , Japan
Mask for the Noh Play Okina, Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891), Hanging scroll; pigments, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, gold foil, and ink on paper , Japan
Mask for the Noh Play Okina, Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891), Hanging scroll; pigments, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, gold foil, and ink on paper , Japan

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