Features
◆ The subject is the ancient gigaku character Taikofu
Taikofu is one of the more representative characters among the gigaku masks, appearing as a pair with Taikoji. Research suggests that the figure has the features of an elderly foreigner and holds a particular role in the gigaku repertoire.
This piece is therefore not an ordinary Japanese folk-art mask but a subject with a clear link to the gigaku culture of Japan's Asuka period.
◆ A carved old man's face full of expression
Wrinkles are rendered across the face with carved lines of varying depth.
The horizontal lines of the forehead, the curves beneath the eyes and the texture of the nostrils and cheeks all stand out strongly, so the piece has considerable three-dimensional presence even without bright colouring.
The smiling mouth and the reserved gaze in particular create an unusual expression somewhere between kindly, uncanny and archaic.
◆ Wood carving with a dark, antique tone
The whole is a deep brown to blackish brown, the surface showing natural wear and the settling of time.
A dark wood body with restrained colouring of this kind has more of the air of an "old mask" than the mass-produced decorative masks of today, and suits an interior of antiques well.
◆ An old paper label kept on the back
A clearly aged handwritten paper label can be seen on the back, on which characters such as "national treasure", "gigaku mask" and "Taiko mask" can be made out.
The label itself is well worth keeping, since it reflects how the piece was collected, identified or displayed in the past.