Noh mask - Wood - Ko-omote 小面 with inscribed box (No reserve price)

Ko-omote 小面, the youthful female mask of Noh theatre, seems to hold a smile just behind its narrow, watchful eyes.

Deep red lips and precisely drawn black hair frame a softly modelled face. The hollow reverse preserves a rhythm of curved carving strokes and an incised mark.

In Noh performance, a slight tilt can brighten or cloud a mask’s expression; changing light and shadow give this still face an absorbing presence.

The mask comes with an inscribed wooden box bearing a red seal inside its lid, and a fabric bag patterned in cream and gold tones. Measurements of 21.5 × 13.5 × 6 cm are taken at the rear edges. The maker remains unidentified and the estimated period is Shōwa–Heisei (1926–2019).