The Secrets of Noh Masks

Noh is a major form of classic Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing both the male and female roles. The repertoire is normally limited to a specific set of historical plays. This is the very first book to introduce the work of the Noh mask artist Michishige Udaka who is still active at the front of Noh play in Japan nowadays both as an actor and a playwright. It presents high quality photographs of 32 typical Noh masks shot in dynamic lightings and close-up angles. Captions explain characters of each mask and also main the points to appreciate them, while insightful essays talk about the history of Noh, its performing style, and mask-making philosophy and its techniques. This title provides index for each mask with thumbnail photos.