{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O181739"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O181739/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM0347/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM0347/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM0347","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM0343","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BM0333","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KL2529","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O181739/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O181739","accessionNumber":"578-1886","objectType":"Mask","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The mask of the historical Buddha (Shaka) is used in the Noh play 'Daie' (by the Kita School) a play of the Fifth Group. Noh is the classical theatre of Japan which was codified in the 14th century under the father and son actors Kan'ami and Zeami under the patronage of the Shogun (supreme military leader) Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.\r\n\r\nThe carving of this mask is not particularly distinguished, the features being over-simplified in the way that is typical of the execution of Buddhist sculptures of the later Edo period. The features of the mask are bland and have none of the serenity and composure which is found in earlier masks used for the Buddhist Gyodo ceremony.\r\n\r\nThe mask is carved from a single piece of thick cypress (J. hinoki); there is a thin layer of gesso (J. gofun) on the face over which details have been painted in gold with eyebrows and moustaches painted in ink (J. sumi) with highlights in green. The eyes are small and turn down, the eyes are white with details in sumi. The hair with tight rahotsu (snail-shell or spiral curls) is painted blue (following the tradition of blue/green hair on Buddhist sculptures) with the spirals accentuated in gold paint. The wisdom protuberance, usnisa, (J. nikkei) is painted red, and there is a crystal urna (J. byakugo) affixed to the middle of the forehead. The painting and the application of the gold is flat and the blue and green of the hair is bright and lacking in depth.\r\n\r\nThe interior of the mask has been painted or stained a dark brown through which the poor chisel marks can be seen. The eye-holes when seen from the interior are small and rectangular in shape. There is little evidence of wear to the cord-holes, perhaps indicating that the mask was never used in performance.","physicalDescription":"Noh mask of Shaka, the historical Buddha","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Deme, Yasuyoshi","id":"A24229"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cypress wood","id":"x43380"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved and painted hinoki (cypress) wood","categories":[{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[{"text":"Edo","id":"AAT106656"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2007BM0347","2007BM0343","2007BM0333","2017KL2529"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES367139"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"no mask","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Japan","id":"x29399"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1740-1775","earliest":"1740-01-01","latest":"1775-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"23.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"head to chin","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"18.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Deme Yasuyoshi","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Maker's name in rectangular seal (J. shoin) with applied blue-green colour (J.ryokusho-iri)."}],"objectHistory":"Purchased from Siegfried Bing, accesioned in 1886. Information from Nominal File, Bing, cited in Gregory Irvine, 'Collecting a Tradition: The Japanese Mask Collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum', Oriental Art XLI:3, Autumn 1995.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Woo, Japan, theatrical accessories, wood","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["578-1886"],"accessionNumberNum":"578","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1886,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-20","recordCreationDate":"2009-01-07","availableToBook":false}}