The Multifaceted Nō-men

Noh, Japan’s oldest traditional form of musical drama, has been performed since the 1300s. Noh performances can last all day.  Usually they consist of five plays and a shorter comical version (kyōgen).  Noh acts combine drama, dance, poetry, and music; performers are mostly males donning expressive masks called nō-men.

  Noh actors with masks. | Jim Epler

Nō-men (能面) or omote (面) are noh performance masks worn by the main actor (shite) and secondary character (tsure) to represent female characters.  The masks are carved from blocks of Japanese cypress and painted with natural pigments on a neutral base of crushed seashell and glue. There are about 450 kinds of nō-men based on 60 types and all are unique with distinct names. Some masks can be used repeatedly in many different plays, while others can be used in only one or two plays. Nō-men depict a character’s age, social ranking, gender, and whether the character is a human, demon, or a god. They are an important element of the performance.

Three pictures of the same nō ‘hawk mask’ showing how the expression changes with a tilting of the head. | Wmpearl

Nō-men may cover an actor’s  face but their use in Noh performances does not mean the actor’s own facial expressions are completely abandoned. A nō-men is supposed to stylize and codify the facial expressions of the actors and to encourage the imagination of the audience. It enables the actors to convey different emotions in a controlled manner such as a slight tilt of the head. With lighting to show more or less expression from the nō-men, facing slightly upward can convey happiness while facing downwards can express sadness or anger.

Noh-men mask made from wood.

There are nō-men in Noh schools in Japan that are centuries old and are priceless. There are also some in private collection that are not for public display.  Nō-men are beautiful examples of art and are a part of Japan’s unique culture and history.