Costumes and Masks of the Noh Play Shōjō
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Noh Mask: Shōjō
Passed down by the Konparu troupe, Nara, Muromachi period, 15th-16th century (Important Cultural Property)Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9
August 24, 2021 (Tue) - October 24, 2021 (Sun)Shōjō is a celebratory Noh play based on a Chinese legend about a fairy called a shōjō. In the story, the shōjō gives a beautiful pot with endless liquor to Kōfū, a liquor seller. Since ancient times, alcohol has been regarded as “the best of one-hundred medicines” in East Asia, and its benefits were praised in various texts. Shōjō was a popular play. The actor performing the role of the shōjō wore a red-faced dōji mask with a big smile, a karaori costume decorated with chrysanthemums and red ōguchi trousers, with a large red wig known as an akagashira.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Noh Mask: "Shōjō" | Passed down by the Konparu troupe, Nara | Muromachi period, 15th-16th century | C-1535 | ||
| Highlight | Noh Costume ("Karaori") with Chrysanthemums and Water | Passed down by the Konparu troupe, Nara | Edo period, 18th century | I-2012 | |||
| Highlight | Noh Costume ("Ōguchi") with Chrysanthemums and Water | Passed down by the Konparu troupe, Nara | Edo period, 18th century | I-2846 | |||
| Highlight | "Shōjō" Dance | By Suzuki Kiitsu (1796–1858) | Edo period, 19th century | A-90 | On exhibit through September 20, 2021 |