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Gyodo processional mask of the Omai type
Gyodo processional mask of the Omai type

Gyodo processional mask of the Omai type

Place of OriginJapan
Date1400-1600
CultureJapanese
MaterialsWood with traces of lacquer and colors
DimensionsH. 8 3/4 in x W. 7 1/8 in, H. 22.2 cm x W. 18 cm
Credit LineGift and Purchase from the Harry G.C. Packard Collection Charitable Trust in honor of Dr. Shujiro Shimada; The Avery Brundage Collection
Object number1991.72
DepartmentJapanese Art
ClassificationsSculpture
On View
Not on view
More Information
With its distinctively prominent nose, this mask is typical of those used in Omai, a type of Japanese ritual dance. Dancers wearing such masks were commonly seen at the head of Buddhist and Shinto processions in the 1300s and 1400s. Like those who performed the Lion Dance, Omai dancers probably served to purify the space for these religious ceremonies.