Masks and Costumes of Kyogen Theater
-
Kyogen Mask, Noborihige type (detail), By Dohaku, Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9
June 21, 2016 (Tue) - August 7, 2016 (Sun)In the Muromachi period (1392-1573), jokes and humorous words or actions were called “kyogen.” The Japanese theater named after this word is based on everyday life in the Muromachi period. Appropriate for these plays, Kyogen masks also have funny and cheerful qualities. Kyogen costumes also boldly express the cheerful atmosphere of this theater. The backs of the suo and kataginu garments that actors portraying provincial feudal lords and their servants wear, for example, are boldly filled with designs of annual events and ceremonies, seasonal flowers and vegetables, or everyday tools and even toys – all reflective of the approachable nature of these characters.
We invite visitors to look for notes of humor in these masks and costumes while imagining the lively interactions of the actors who wore them.
Current exhibit includes:
Kyogen Mask, Noborihige type, By Dohaku, Edo period, 18th century
Kake Suo (Noh costume), Plum blossom design on parti-colored ground, Edo period, 19th century (Lent by the Agency for Cultural Affairs)