Lot 785 Dα

A wood and lacquer kiseruzutsu. Late 19th century

Of musozutsu type, carved in low relief seven old bugaku and gigaku masks with an inscription saying where the original mask is kept, on one side a gigaku mask of Kuro-otome type from the Horyuji, below a small unidentified mask and a large bugaku mask of Ranryoo type from the Kongobuji, on the other side a gigaku mask of Suikoju type from Todaiji, below a bugaku mask of Ni-no-mai type from the Hachiman shrine in Tamukeyama, on the lid a mask referrig to the Buddhist sculptor Kensei and the year 1214, when the temple Horyuji was restored, on the other side a mask from Kasuga shrine. Rim lined with gold. Signed Tessai mo with kao (=Kano Tessai, 1845-1925).
Length 21.4 cm