MASUKAMI 増髪 woodcarving

One of the masks portraying a young woman, Masukami's dishevelled locks betray her extraordinary psychological state: spirituality amplified to the brink of possession. This is a mask not so much simply mysterious as pulsing with the divine power swirling within. Her eyes and mouth are similar to those of the dignified Zo-onna, but it is the lines extending from the inner eyebrows and the depressions on the forehead that most obviously distinguish this mask and pose the greatest challenge for the maskmaker. The depth and softness of the depressions determine all, and enable the actor to capture the mental state of a goddess or miko (shrine maiden) performing a kagura dance for the gods.