Gikaku Mask of Young Persian Boy (Taikōji)
710–94
Maker Unknown
Japanese Art
Gikaku Mask of Young Persian Boy (Taikōji), 710–94. Japan, Nara period (710-94). Paulownia wood, lacquered and painted; overall: 28 x 21 x 18.5 cm (11 x 8 1/4 x 7 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1949.158 This mask is for the role of the son of an old Persian widower in gigaku, a theatrical dance repertoire imported to Japan from continental Asia during the seventh century. The old man and his sons mime prayers to the Buddha. While the mask would cover the entire head of the actor, there are openings for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth. This is the mask for one of two sons who accompany a widower in ancient dance theater.
- Maker/Artist
- Maker Unknown
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Formatted Medium
- paulownia wood, lacquered and painted
- Dimensions
- Overall: 28 x 21 x 18.5 cm (11 x 8 1/4 x 7 5/16 in.)
- Departments
- Japanese Art
- Accession Number
- 1949.158
- Credit Line
- John L. Severance Fund
- Exhibitions
- 35th Anniversary Exhibition, The Mask, Juxtapositions, Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture, <em>One Thousand Years of Japanese Art (650-1650) from The Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Japan House Gallery, New York, NY (Spring 1981)., <em>Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 237)</em>. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (April 10, 2013-November 17, 2015).
- Rights Statement
- CC0
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