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Why
would a samurai need to wear a mask? Well, it not only made him look
more frightening, but it also served the very practical purpose of
helping to keep his helmet on his head. Some masks covered the entire
face, some only the lower part of the face. Sometimes a mask came
in sections, so the samurai could choose to cover part or all of his
face.
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Some
masks portrayed tengu, demons who were masters of the martial
arts and all types of weapons. Folks also believed tengu
had supernatural strength and the ability to fly.
Why do you think a samurai would wear this mask?
Mask
(sômen) representing a tengu, 18th century;
Japanese; iron and lacquer; H. 8 in. (20.3 cm), W. 7 3/4 in. (18
cm); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of George C. Stone,
1935 (36.25.263 ab)
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