{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O76811"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O76811/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT6557/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT6557/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AT6557","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/O76811/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O76811","accessionNumber":"578F-1886","objectType":"Noh mask","titles":[{"title":"Ishiojo","type":"generic title"},{"title":"Mai-Jo","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"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. This gaunt mask of Ishiojo - or possibly Mai-Jo, who appears in Noh plays such as Saigyo-Zakura - is carved from a single piece of cypress. It was primed with a layer of sabi-urushi (a wood primer, or base coat, formed from wheat flour, fine clay and lacquer), with a thin layer of gesso (J. gofun) on top to act as the base medium for the paint. The aged Ishiojo's sorrowful features are well depicted in this skilfully carved mask. The deeply sunken eyes with their hooded lids give a haunted look.\r\n\r\nThe mask is painted a pale flesh colour, with details around the eyes, ears, cheekbones and forehead picked out in a dark pink. The square pupils of the eyes are highlighted by lines of ink over a white base paint. The eyebrows are picked out in lines of alternating grey and black ink, as is the moustache and hair on the chin. The lips are a deep red colour and are slightly open to reveal the upper and lower sets of teeth which are painted black with highlights in gold. The topknot and beard are of grey horsehair, which is held in sockets by means of small wooden pegs. Most of the hair is still present on the mask. The cord-holes show signs of wear and have become almost oval in shape. The back edges of the ears also show wear and have a groove where the cords have rubbed. \r\n\r\nThe interior of the mask has been lacquered a dark brownish-black through which the broad, confidently executed chisel marks are visible. The hollows for the eyes are small and the recess for the nose has many fine cat-scratch-like vertical lines.","physicalDescription":"Noh mask of Ishiojo","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tenka Ichi Yamato","id":"A24235"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"probably"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cypress","id":"AAT12540"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"},{"text":"painting","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved and painted Japanese cypress (hinoki)","categories":[],"styles":[{"text":"Edo (Japanese period)","id":"AAT106643"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2006AT6557","2017KL2529"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES367142"},"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":"17th century","earliest":"1600-01-01","latest":"1700-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"21.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"31.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx., with beard","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Kita Roppeita","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In gold lacquer (upper right interior). Kita Roppeita Nosei (1814-1869) was 12th head of the Kita School of Noh performers."},{"content":"Nohsei +kao","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In gold lacquer; translation unclear"},{"content":"Mukoh","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Carved effortlessly","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Reading ambiguous: could also mean 'of no worth'..."},{"content":"Tenka Ichi Yamato","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Yamato, First Under Heaven","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Tenka Ichi is an honorary title. Yamato Sanemori (or Shinsei); signed 'Tenka Ichi Yamato'. Tenka-ichi Yamato was originally from Nara, where he was a priest, and became a disciple of the notable No mask carver Tenka-ichi Iseki Kawachi who died in 1645. Yamato moved to Edo and worked there; he died in Kanbun 12 (1672)."}],"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":"attributed to Kita Roppeita","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Ishiojo","id":"N2542"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["578F-1886"],"accessionNumberNum":"578","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1886,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-20","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-17","availableToBook":false}}