He Who Died Young Japanese Noh Mask “HATACHI-AMARI”
He Who Died Young Japanese Noh Mask “HATACHI-AMARI”
Literally Barely Twenty the Hatachi Amari Noh mask represents the resentful ghost of the young fisherman in Fujito who has been murdered by the general to whom he disclosed a secret water passage. Carved wood covered with Gofun and mineral pigments, 20th century. It is 21.2 x 15 cm and in overall fine condition.
The name derives from a passage in the play and the mask, like Kawazu, was created specifically for the role. Like Kawazu and Yaseotoko, the gaunt face has protruding bones, straggly wisps of hair over the forehead and downward looking eyes, and no lower teeth, giving a sense of passivity and inner torment. Unlike the other two masks, however, Hatachi Amari shows a more human aspect in the curve of his lips, the clarity of the facial hairs (moustache and eyebrows) and, most importantly, the absence of metal in the eyes.