A noh mask representing a young prince blind from birth used exclusively in the play Semimaru. Carved wood covered with Gofun and mineral pigments, 20th century.It is 20.2 x 13.5 cm and in overall fine condition bearing the carvers seal in the back.
Sent away to live alone in a hut, Semimaru seeks solace playing his lute. His crazed sister, sakagami, appears, and for a while the siblings are comforted by each other's company. A sweet expression of calm resignation fills this youthful mask, despite the blind eyes formed by gently curved long horizontal slits. The red lips curl upward in a slight smile, mimicking the arch of the eyebrows.
