Masks and Costumes of the Noh Play "Ama (The Woman Diver)"
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Noh Mask: Deigan, Branded with the seal “Tenkaichi Kawachi”; Passed down by the Konparu troupe; Edo period, 17th century (Important Cultural Property)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9
February 26, 2025 (Wed) - April 20, 2025 (Sun)In the noh play Ama, a woman diver tells the story of how she retrieved a magic jewel from the Dragon King’s underwater palace. She risked her life in the hope that the jewel would bring success to her child. She wears a shakumi mask, representing a middle-aged woman, and a mizugoromo robe, signifying her status as a poor laborer.
Later, she reveals that she is no longer among the living — she sacrificed herself to obtain the jewel for her child. Now a spirit, she appears wearing a deigan mask, which suggests her supernatural nature, and dances in a flowing silk robe called a chōken. The masks and costumes on display reflect the deep love between mother and child, central to the play’s theme.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Child's Noh Costume ("Chōken") with Dragons among Clouds | Previously owned by the Konparu troupe | Edo period, 18th century | I-3250 | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Noh Mask: "Shakumi" | Branded with the seal “Tenkaichi Zekan”; Passed down by the Konparu troupe | Azuchi-Momoyama–Edo period, 16th–17th century | C-1546 | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Noh Mask: "Deigan" | Branded with the seal “Tenkaichi Kawachi”; Passed down by the Konparu troupe | Edo period, 17th century | C-1538 | ||
| Highlight | Noh Costume ("Chōken") with Fans, Peonies, and Chrysanthemums | Edo period, 18th century | I-2049 | ||||
| Highlight | "Ama" from Volume 1 of "Illustrated Handscrolls of Noh and Kyōgen Plays" | Artist unknown | Edo period, 18th century | A-10185 |