JOHN  M  BLUNDALL
 
  The Noh theatre is a highly stylised form of expression which is a composite of several elements, music, song, dance drama, scenic elements and props, exquisite brocade costumes, and haunting masks. The plays themselves are very simple and usually revolve around plots which include subject matter like love, revenge, pity, jealousy, and samurai spirit. In many cases the plots lack coherence and avoid the usual dramatic contrasts found in plays performed elsewhere.
　The Noh theatre is unique and it was Zeami Motokiro(1363-1443) who brought Noh theatre to its flowering. Zeami was able to transform what had been essentially a country form of entertainment possessing ritual overtones into a remarkable total theatrical experience.
　Zeami later went on to produce a series of documents in which he discusses the principles of the Noh. Not only do the documents tell us much about the early development of the Noh during the middle ages, a development well grounded in all aspects of Japanese life and culture at that time, but they clearly outline the nature of the actors craft.
　Despite the generally low status of the actor during the period, Zeami became a great celebrity. Very little is known about him except that he was a child actor in his fathers troupe, and by the time he was twelve, his talents were well developed and recognized. The recognition came from the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu(1358-1408) who was an important political figure and patron of the arts, and supported Zeami in his work.
　Zeami’s father died when he was twenty-two, leaving him to continue the family tradition. It was at this time that Zeami set down the experiences of his father and extended them with his own observations as a performer. The troupe enjoyed the patronage of the Shogun Yoshimitsu until his death in 1408. After this time Zeami lost favour and problems continued until he was banished to the island of Sado in his seventy-second year, in 1434. Just before his death in 1443 he was allowed to return to the mainland.
　His writings were only intended for a small circle of his collaborators with the sole function of ensuring the passing on of professional matters from one generation of actors to another. He could never have realized therefore how widely read they would become so far beyond his homeland.
　Noh as a classical dramatic art is often seen as being little more than a frozen tradition, and an ancient museum piece. But after six centuries it has slowly evolved into a major classical art form.
　The Noh is performed on a special type of stage unlike any other. In the early days it was performed in temples and shrines and later a special stage was built out doors with the seating area for the audience in a separate building with an open area in between. Modern Noh stages are built with the stage area and the seating for the audience under the same roof, even so the white gravel area which separated the stage and the auditorium remains as a reminder of the original.
　Noh dramas are depicted in song and dance combining a number of different elements. There is vocal music in the form of chant. Instrumental music provided by an orchestra composed of flutes and drums. Acting techniques consisting of actions, posturing and dances. The simple symbolic setting elements and props, exquisite brocade costumes and the haunting masks combine to provide a form of theatrical expression which is ancient and timeless.
　Due to the complexity of the Noh drama it is best to respond to Noh drama on an emotional level and without intellect.
　Thus for many it is the magnificent costumes and the inanimate yet infinitely expressive masks that will provide the greatest enjoyment.
　It is Zeami’s writings which provide the most substantial basis for research on mask carvers and the classification of masks. The Noh mask is an object of great beauty and value, and treasured by the great Noh families and institutions. Many of the masks used today date back several centuries, being handed down from one generation to another. The masks are unique and considered to be major achievements of Japanese art and culture, superior to any other type of theatre mask to be found anywhere else in the world.
　Although Noh actors respect the nature of the mask as a work of art in its own right, they consider it wrong to treat it as something only to be preserved in glass cases in museums and temples. Noh masks are not mere objects and in no way can they be considered complete and effective until the actor works with the mask onstage, in performance, and with all other elements of the Noh performance. The more the mask is used in context, the more spiritual depth it acquires.
　Over the years many great masks have been copied, in some cases to a degree where it is difficult to distinguish the original from the copy. Inevitably there have been poor copies but there have been cases where the skill of the copier has exceeded that of the original creator. It has always been a practice to make copies and it matters little if the copy or the original is used providing that it is totally expressive on stage, in performance.
　Masks have been used in Japan throughout the ages in religious festivals and ceremonies and it is important to consider the various types of mask which led to the development of the Noh masks. The wearing of masks is generally believed to metamorphose the wearer into supernatural entities and deities, and endowing him with powers of a supernatural nature, both mental and physical. Gigaku is an ancient form of mask drama which came to Japan from China sometime during the 7th century. Some two hundred of the masks exist in Japan to this day. The masks cover the head completely and are carved from camphor or paulownia wood, or made from dry lacquer. The Gigaku was superceded by Bugaku, a dance drama performed with or without masks. The masks of the Bugaku are smaller than those used in Gigaku, they cover the front of the face but are larger than the Noh masks. Paulownia, Japanese cypress or cherry wood is used, and a higher degree of carving and finishing is seen.
　The next development is seen in the Buddhist style faces of saints and deities of Gyodo, a ceremonial Buddhist procession using masks of a finer quality and their influence is most clearly seen in the masks of the Noh.
　Another form of performance is known as Mibu Kyogen and found in the Mibu Temple in Kyoto and uses masks similar to those in the Noh. The temple possesses a fine collection of such masks, some of them created in the fourteenth century.
　There are some two hundred and fifty types of Noh masks divided into five main groups revengeful spirits, deities, men and women and demons, the demons, literary demons symbols of human passion, expressing the essential traits of the character that they represent. There are times when the mask is not used, in which case the actor there are no females in the Noh must keep his face completely immobile and expressionless it is the mask and not the actors face which is the essence of the character.
　A variation of main types is the Okina mask, which is said to have existed in the tenth century. Okina masks have a special name ‘kiri-ago’cut jaw and differ from the Noh mask, which is one-piece and inaminate, by being constructed in two pieces that are divided at the mouth line and joined with rough string. Some also have pompom like eyebrows and long whispy beards, all of them have expressions of happiness and contentment. The Okina mask is the only mask in the Noh theatre which is put on while on the stage.
　Some of the most beautiful masks are those of the female characters. The faces of the young and middle-aged women superficially appear to be the same, on closer examination it is six different hairline styles which distinguish one from another.
　At the present time there are many professional and amateur sculptors of Noh masks, some of them priests, all of them devoted to the preservation of an art form which reflects the highest achievement in Japanese art and culture. The master Ujiharu Nagasawa is the leading influence on many of the new generations of masters, among which the most important are Hisao Suzuki and Nohzin-kai. This group under the leadership of Suzuki is devoted to the preservation, development and popularization of the Noh masks internationally, and it is the work of Suzuki and his students which is currently touring the UK after its opening at the Midlands Art Centre in Birmingham.*
　The carving of the Noh mask or, as the masters prefer, the striking of the mask, starts with the selection of the wood. The word to ‘make’ is never used. The Japanese word used is ‘utsu’ meaning to carve and imbue one’s spirit into the mask being created. The carving and painting of the mask creates a unique object which is the product of a strict discipline following traditional laws-it is a strenuous and demanding experience, fulfilling and rewarding.
　The selection of the wood is of prime importance. Most of the masks are carved from the rare Japanese cypress-hinoki. It is used due to its great durability, its fine grain, and light colour. The wood must be well seasoned but not completely dry. Careful selection is critical to avoid later warping which would distort the expression of the finished mask. It is not uncommon for the master to carve the mask allowing for possible warping, particularly in the delicate female masks. Hinoki possesses a remarkable fragrance which, in itself, gives pleasure and inspiration during the carving of the mask.
　Many of the tools used are peculiar to Japan and made of a special alloy of soft iron and steel made only in Japan, often by masters of national importance. Then there are long handled, double edged saws which cut on the back stroke and eliminate much of the strain and energy wastage experienced using conventional Western saws. There is a vast range of chisels used, each one sharpened to a highly polished, razor sharp finish on Japanese water stones.
　First the general shape of the mask is cut with a saw and large chisels, this is followed by the roughing out of the features with medium sized chisels, the small detail is then cut with finer chisels. At this stage the inside of the mask is hollowed out. The earlier stages of carving the mask are carried out with the master sitting on a based board to which a block of wood is fixed, the block of hinoki is gripped against the wood with the feet. During the carving a series of card templates are used to check the mask at the various stages of development, this is to ensure the preservation of the correct shape and character of each feature and the mask as a whole.
　The Noh mask can take as long as three months to make. On completion of the carving process and before painting the master will contemplate the mask, looking at it from various angles and drawing in the detail for the final painting.
　The painting of the mask begins with the preparation of a unique form of gesso which is made by finely crushing oyster shells and mixing the powder with a refined glue made from the bones of a small Japanese deer. Some thirteen coats of this mixture is applied to the mask laying it on with a wide brush moved across the face in one direction. This base, when completed, must be allowed to dry thoroughly. It is at this stage that hammered out brass eye and teeth covers are made and carefully applied to the masks of characters requiring this type of detail.
　Final colour and detail painting is now applied. Some masks require an additional coloured ground, this is produced from traditional pigments and metallic additives. Hair, whiskers and other black details are painted on with ink produced by grinding ink sticks in water on an ink stone.
　The long process of producing the Noh mask is now complete. A fine silk cord is attached to the mask through specially prepared holes in the side of the mask, this will be used by the actor to tie the mask onto his head. Finally the mask will be carefully put into a fine brocade bag and additionally a wooden box. Now the mask is ready for delivery to the actor.
　The forty masks which make up the current exhibition are fine examples of an ancient art preserved with great understanding and respect. The Nohzin-kai hopes that it will contribute to the greater understanding of Japanese art and culture by British people. At the closing of the exhibition at the Japanese Gallery in London all of the masks are to be auctioned, this is the express wish of the Master Suzuki and his pupils. The proceeds of the sale will be donated to a British charity for children.

*The exhibition was organized by John M Blundall, Director Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre, The Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 12, himself a student of Suzuki, and Chris and Mieko Wertheim, The Japanese Gallery, Camden Passage, Islington, London.