Keywords
Art History
Sculpture
Father old man. A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a cheerful old man. The powder-puff eyebrows and separate, cord-tied lower jaw *kiriago 切顎, which it shares with *okina 翁, mark this mask *okinamen 翁面 as one of the oldest types of Noh mask. In early performances of Shikisanba 式三番 and even today at performances in Kasuga Taisha 春日大社 and Sumiyoshi Jinja 住吉神社 in Hyōgo Prefecture, chichinojō and okina appear together, with chichinojō representing longevity. The salient features of chichinojō, which distinguish it from other okina masks, are its upward-slanting almond-shaped eyes and its lack of an implanted beard. An excellent example dated 1316 is housed in the Aoyagi 青柳 collection, Tokyo.