Master Craftsmanship! Japanese Wooden - Menburyu Mask - Furyu Parade - UNESCO

Description

22.0cm/8.7" x 13.5cm/5.3"
Signed by the famous Japanese carver,
Ichiryu Kajiwara.
An early work by
Kajiwara - ca1980s
This mask is from the Saga region of Japan, has been a part of their ritual fall folk dance festivals since the Muromachi period
Buryus with a close mouth are male figures, The ones with an open mouth represent females. Masking this one female...
In that time, approximately 200 arts degree (sculpting degrees for artisans such as those that carve masks) will have been handed down
Menburyu is a traditional performing art which represents Saga Prefecture of Japan.
The leading players are dancers who wear grim demon masks and valiant Kakeuchi costumes, and are accompanied by gongs, drums, and flutes just like the furyu parade.
Because of its stirring character, one of the theories concerning its origin traces it to a battle that took place during the Warring States period (middle of the 15th century to the middle of the 16th century).
It has been dedicated from olden times in order to pray for a good harvest and to expel illnesses, mainly in the southwest area of Saga Prefecture.
The links to the below films introduces a brief description of the two representative Menburyu, each of which belongs to a different style which has been handed down in the Otonari area and the Hogaura area.
Both of them have been designated Important Intangible Cultural Properties by the prefecture.
In the film, the origin, props, roles, and the structure of the way it is dedicated are shown to differ between the two dances.
It also urges the necessity of passing on the local traditional culture to the future by depicting the activities of handing down the dance from adults to children.
All Furyu dancers don masks or cover their mouths with hand towels, and people who do this are considered to be an incarnation of Buddha, according to an ancient Saga belief. This indicates that Furyu was a very sacred event.
Otonari Menburyu (Kashima. Date: 2nd Sunday of September every year.Venue: Tenshi Shrine in Nanaura Otonari, Kashima-shi
Hougaura Menburyu (Kashima). Date: 2nd Sunday of September every year. Venue: Chinshu Shrine in Nanaura Hougaura, Kashima-shi
Meta Furyu (Kamimine) Period: Mid- to end-October (held every other year). Venue: Oimatsu Shrine in Maemuta, Kamimine-cho, Miyaki-gun
Ichikawa Tentsukumai Furyu (Fuji, Saga);
Date: Sunday in mid-October every year.
Venue: Suwa Shrine, Ichikawa, Fuji-cho, Saga-shi
Both the wood work and painting exhibit rare quality and workmanship
Made of a single block of highly aged wood (likely 2+ years of aging). Extraordinary depth of carving..chin, tongue back to the hollows of the forehead is a large breath of real estate.
This is a dying art unfortunately which has been telling historical arts for thousands of years. Last I knew, there were a dozen or less master mask makers in the greater Tokyo area.
The time, perfection, and training to create such an object is this most astounding thing. A mask like this may have taken over a month for the carver using traditional techniques to choose the raw natural pigments and clay elements to hand grind the paint for this mask. Smooth flowing lacquer qualities.
A rare piece - check out my "ebay collections" to see my previous Buryus
I've owned.
See my other Buryus that is for sale
Other masks of my collection might be up: Check out my
other items
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