The ancient tradition of Noh is one of the oldest-surviving art forms not only in Japan , but the world. Dating back to at least the 14th century, this theatrical performing art stands out due to its use of intricately carved wooden face masks. Worn by Noh performers, these masks are key to expressing complicated storylines and emotions on stage.
Noh masks are fascinating to look at even off the stage. At first glance, they may appear static—but you soon realise they have an enigmatic ability to transform. Made from Hinoki , each mask is skilfully painted to depict a particular character, its expression changing with the angle of the performer’s head and the way the light hits its features.
With nothing but a tilt to the shadows or a sweep towards the light, it goes from joyful to forlorn, embarrassed to conniving. In a small studio in Kyoto sits 77-year-old Mitsue Nakamura, a master artisan who has been learning the art of making Noh masks since the 1980s. When she first started, Nakamura had been one of a small handful of women in the field.
Today, she has a team of apprentices who are all female—a radical difference for a craft which was once passed down only from father to son. After a dizzying tour of the vast array of Noh masks in varying stages of completion that line Nakamura’s studio, one of her apprentices gives us a live demonstration of how Noh masks are made. She begins to chisel away at a block of Hinoki as we watch in rapt attention, marvelling at how d.