Noh Mask: Kawazu (Frog-Face)

19th century

Not on view

The "Kawazu" mask, which expresses the severe torment of souls in hell, is usually worn by the ghost of hunters and fishermen as well as those who died for love. The actor Umewaka Rokuro revived the Noh play Daihannya. In this play the "Kawazu" mask is worn by the awe-inspiring apparition encountered in the central Asian desert by the Chinese monk Hsiian Chuang (600–664) on his pilgrimage to Buddhist sites in India.

Artwork Details

Title: Noh Mask: Kawazu (Frog-Face)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 19th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Wood with pigments, eyes inset in brass
Dimensions: H. 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm); W. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
Classification: Masks
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Object Number: 36.120.684
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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