Kitsune Iwami Kagura

Used

Iwami Nagahama Mask :Kitsune Kagura Mask

Big size mask for wearing.

Imported from Japan

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This product is no longer in stock

450,00 € VAT incl.

Data sheet

Height 35 cm
Width 21cm

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Kagura is a type of ritual dance that first thrived in the Iwami region of Shimane Prefecture.
The dances, originally performed at shrines, would last from evening until dawn the next day, to show gratitude to nature and the gods during the harvest season.
Based on Japanese myths, these performances were grand and colorful spectacles, and beginning in the dawn of the Meiji era (around 1868), kagura troupes began to form to entertain shrine visitors.
It is that kagura style that has been handed down into the modern era as a tradition art form.
Lush, dazzling costumes, diligently embroidered stitch by stitch, are one of the most important elements of kagura.
But another indispensable ingredient in the swift-paced, soul-stirring Iwami Kagura are the masks, made of light yet sturdy Sekishu Washi (A UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage).

Manufacturing method:

1. The base of the mask is made of clay
2. After the clay dries, washi (Japanese paper) is applied carefully, layer by layer
3. After the washi dries, the clay base breaks and is removed
4. Apply persimmon juice to the inside of the mask and let dry
5. Holes for eyes, nose and hair are opened
6. Apply a layer of Gofun paste (crushed clam shells) and let dry, apply several layers in this process
7. Start to apply the color and several details.
8. Horse hair or yak is implanted.
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