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enmeikaja@‰„–½Š¥ŽÒ
KEY WORD :@art history / sculptures
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Lit. Lengthened life Kaja. A noh mask *noumen ”\–Ê representing a cheerful young man who possesses a divinely blessed longevity, it is used in the *okina ‰¥ (also shikisanba Ž®ŽO”Ô) ritual. Like the other three masks@of this category, the eyes are slit holes curled in a deep smile that spreads through the entire face and a black line runs across the upper border of the mask to mark the rim of a lacquer hat kanmuri Š¥. The pronounced upward swing of the lips, their bright red color, and the smooth white skin set this mask apart from others of the okina mask *okinamen ‰¥–Ê category. A fine example of enmeikaja with dimples in the cheeks and holes indicating that once it had a beard of real hair belongs to the Kanze ŠÏ¢ house and is an Important Cultural Property from the 14c. Other examples from the same period are housed in Niu Jinja ’O¶_ŽÐ and Nagao Jinja ’·”ö_ŽÐ, Nara, and a beardless one in Kamogawa Sumiyoshi Jinja Z‹g_ŽÐ, Hyougo prefecture. Even older masks labeled enmeikaja and dating from the Kamakura period are housed at Chuusonji ’†‘¸Ž›, Iwate prefecture and Nagataki Hakusan Jinja ’·‘ê”’ŽR_ŽÐ, Gifu prefecture. These have a close affinity to some bugaku masks *bugakumen •‘Šy–Ê, like *Shintoriso V’¹‘h and *Ayakiri ˆ»Ø. The curved black strip running not only across the forehead, but down the side of the cheeks to suggest long hair, as well as the bright red of the lips of these two masks suggest a female visage. The mask of enmeikaja can also be used in special performances of the celebratory play SAGI ë.
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(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.@No reproduction or republication without written permission.
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