Not currently on display at the V&A

Festival mask in the form of a Lion Dog (J. Shishi)

Mask
ca. 1800-1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The mask is constructed from several pieces of wood, some fine grained (such as cypress), some coarser (perhaps a type of pine) around the hinges of the jaw and the tongue and jaw itself. The whole mask has been lined with a rough textile backing impregnated with lacquer in order to strengthen the construction. The textile can be clearly seen on the back left edge of the mask where the lacquer has been chipped, and appears to be a type of hemp. The lower jaw hinges on a simple cam system that operates around a horizontal rod which is pinned and slotted into two holes at the side of the mask. The tongue, also a separate piece of wood, is loosely pinned to the lower jaw and rests on a bevelled edge, which allows the tongue to flap about when the mouth of the shishi (a type of mythical lion-dog) opens. Each eye is constructed from two metal disks; the white of the eye is of gilded copper, the pupil is a copper disk painted black and has a split metal pin that goes through the gilded disk into the mask and opens to secure the eye to the body of the mask. The lacquered wooden mask of a shishi was traditionally worn by one performer while another, under a long cloth, made up the body of the beast. The jaws and tongue of the mask are moveable and the ears rotate. The shishi in this mask form is a rather comical creature, but was originally a more dignified and fearsome creature and the mask was used in Buddhist rituals and exorcisms, and in some early forms of masked drama such as Bugaku, a ritual performed at Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and at the imperial court.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleFestival mask in the form of a Lion Dog (J. Shishi) (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Lacquered wood
Brief description
Festival mask in the form of a shishi (lion-dog), wood lacquered with red, black and gold, Japanese, 19th century; Woo, Japan, theatrical accessories, wood
Physical description
This lacquered wooden mask of a shishi was traditionally worn by one performer while another, under a long cloth, made up the body of the beast. The jaws and tongue of the mask are moveable and the ears rotate. The shishi in this mask form is a rather comical creature, but was originally a more dignified and fearsome beast used in Buddhist rituals, exorcisms, and in some early forms of masked drama.
Dimensions
  • Height: 27.3cm
  • Width: 28.1cm
  • Depth: 31.5cm
Style
Object history
Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1883. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary
The mask is constructed from several pieces of wood, some fine grained (such as cypress), some coarser (perhaps a type of pine) around the hinges of the jaw and the tongue and jaw itself. The whole mask has been lined with a rough textile backing impregnated with lacquer in order to strengthen the construction. The textile can be clearly seen on the back left edge of the mask where the lacquer has been chipped, and appears to be a type of hemp. The lower jaw hinges on a simple cam system that operates around a horizontal rod which is pinned and slotted into two holes at the side of the mask. The tongue, also a separate piece of wood, is loosely pinned to the lower jaw and rests on a bevelled edge, which allows the tongue to flap about when the mouth of the shishi (a type of mythical lion-dog) opens. Each eye is constructed from two metal disks; the white of the eye is of gilded copper, the pupil is a copper disk painted black and has a split metal pin that goes through the gilded disk into the mask and opens to secure the eye to the body of the mask. The lacquered wooden mask of a shishi was traditionally worn by one performer while another, under a long cloth, made up the body of the beast. The jaws and tongue of the mask are moveable and the ears rotate. The shishi in this mask form is a rather comical creature, but was originally a more dignified and fearsome creature and the mask was used in Buddhist rituals and exorcisms, and in some early forms of masked drama such as Bugaku, a ritual performed at Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and at the imperial court.
Collection
Accession number
5-1883

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdFebruary 21, 2003
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest