Beshimi mask

Object Details

• Label

  The use of masks in dance, court ritual, processions, and religious ceremonies expanded and flourished under the patronage of the Japanese imperial court during the seventh and eighth centuries, when a wide variety of performance, dance, and musical forms reached Japan from Korea, China, Southeast and West Asia. The elaborate carved and polychromed wood masks for these performances were probably produced by the sculptors of Buddhist icons, but in later periods, mask carving became a specialized skill that was often fostered within families.

  This mask is of the type known as beshimi, for its tightly closed mouth. Beshimi is a demon who usually appears in dance-dramas regarding a fierce but ultimately benevolent being. The simple carving of this piece identifies it with a rural context, probably for use in conjunction with local shrine or agricultural festivals.

• Provenance

  To 2003

  Seymour J. Janow, Washington, DC, acquired in Japan, to 2003 [1]

  From 2003

  Freer Gallery of Art, given by the family of Seymour J. Janow in 2003

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Note 1, Ann Yonemura, September 30, 2003, in the object record.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Mrs. Selma Janow

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Collected by Seymour J. Janow and Gifted in his memory by his Family

• Type

  Mask

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Janow, Selma

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Art, Wood, Demon, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Masks