The History of Noh

Noh is a classical Japanese performance that originated in the 14th century as a form of entertainment at certain religious festivals.  It combines the elements of dance, drama, music and poetry into one stage art.

Certain masks depict certain expressions:

Tengu: depicted by their long nose, expresses their hatred of arrogance and prejudice.

Hanaya:  a woman, turned into a demon through jealousy and anger.

Okina:  an older male depicted by a long white beard expresses wisdom.

Hyottoko:  depicted by the shape of his puckered lips, blows fire from a bamboo tube and expresses comedy.

Ko-Omote:  a very young woman representing cuteness, youth, and beauty.

To purchase mini Noh Masks please click here!

Tags: hanaya, ko-omote, kyottoko, noh, noh masks, okina, tengu

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