A LACQUERED WOOD NOH MASK OF SHIKAMI, EDO PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A LACQUERED WOOD NOH MASK OF SHIKAMI, EDO PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 366, KM 2000, Japanese Noh mask 18th c. of a Demon” Gallery price: EUR 1,970 or approx. EUR 3,300 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Japan. Dramatically and powerfully carved from a block of Japanese cypress and then painted a striking red color, the fierce scowling face showing extreme agitation for expressing demonic spirit, with facial hair highlighted in black ink, and the eyes and teeth gilded. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 28.8 cm The demonic mask of Shikami, which is traditionally used in conjunction with a wig of long, bright red hair, is used to express the violent emotions of the characters found in Noh plays such as Rashomon; this is a particularly dramatic play which relates the story of a demon which lives in the Rashomon, one of the gates to Kyoto. The demon is eventually defeated by a warrior hero of the late tenth century. Noh is the classical theatre of Japan which was codified in the 14th century by the father and son actors Kan'ami and Zeami under the patronage of the Shogun (supreme military leader) Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Under Yoshimitsu the Zen principles of restraint, understatement, economy of movement and frugality of expression became incorporated into the performance. By the early seventeenth century Noh had become an even more austere and formalized drama reserved almost exclusively for the Tokugawa family, the ruling military elite. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related carved and painted cypress wood mask of Shikami, by Deme Yukan, dated to the 16th century, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number 578D-1886. Compare a closely related Noh mask of Shikami, Edo period, dated to the 17th century, in the Tokyo National Museum, collection reference number C-142. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 14 September 2011, lot 664 Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 24,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and subject, with similar expression. Note the smaller size (19.5 cm).

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