ishiōjō 石王尉

Keywords
Art History
Sculpture

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing an old man. The slightly sunken, drooping eyes, tense open mouth, and chalky white coloring of the mask depict a pained elderly man. Both upper and lower teeth can be seen. Tan horsehair is implanted on the chin, while the mustache and area below the lower lip are painted. Used by the Kita 喜多, Konparu 金春, and Kongō 金剛 schools in the second act of plays like Saigyōzakura 西行桜 and Oimatsu 老松 for the spirit of a tree or an elderly god who dances. For the same plays, the Hōshō 宝生 school uses the *maijō 舞尉, and the Kanze 観世 school uses the *shiwajō 皺尉. Attributed to Ishiōhyōe Masatomo 石王兵衛正友 (14th century; see *jissaku 十作). Although few examples are extant, a well-carved early mask remains at Hakusan Jinja 白山神社 in Gifu Prefecture.