Minneapolis Institute of Art

Comical Demon Mask

Matsumura Goshun

Date

late 18th–early 19th century

Medium

Hanging scroll, ink on silk

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A disembodied grinning face with exaggerated features looks out at us. The face is of a mask for kyōgen, performed as a lighthearted intermission to break up the acts of solemn noh plays. The bare upper teeth and large puffy eyes identify this character as Buaku, a demon who simultaneously looks frightening and fearful; the same mask can also be used as the face of the King of Hell. Here, Matsumura highlights the comical aspect of the Buaku mask, his bared teeth looking more like a broad grin than a threatening gesture. Matsumura Goshun was a painter who founded the Shijō school of painters in Kyoto, and specialized in a mixture of Chinese literati painting and painting based on observation of nature. Japan, Asia

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