nishikigi otoko 錦木男

Noh mask *nōmen 能面 made for the role of the ghost of the broken-hearted man in Nishikigi 錦木. Having set out brightly colored sticks in front of the house of a woman as a sign of his love for three years without avail, he died in distress. His ghost tells of his union with the woman after death. Although the mask belongs to the *ayakashi 怪士 category of masks of ghosts, and resembles ayakashi in general, it has softer, more human features with rounder edges and a sensitivity born of patient love. Accordingly the coloring has a light pinkish tinge.