大学共同利用機関法人 人間文化研究機構　国立民族学博物館

Masks

• HI 2839, etc.

In local festivals and performing arts, diverse masks are used to signify the appearance of deities, or to let performers take on the role of non-human beings. Masks of oni ‘demons’, tengu ‘long-nosed goblins’, and shishi ‘lions’ can be found throughout the nation, but their colors and shapes vary according to when and where they were made. Some masks are unique to certain regions, further expanding this great variety.