15 Minutes

A Treasured Creation: Today's Treasure - Noh Masks (2020x9)

: 25, 2020

In the over 600-year old form of classical Japanese theater called Noh, wooden masks are worn by the performers. These masks have been made by wood carvers who lived and worked with the performer to create masks specific to each role. At age 52, Hideta Kitazawa is one of the few remaining artisans carrying on this tradition. While using a multitude of chisels to carve masks from blocks of cypress, he shares his thoughts on how these inanimate materials are brought to life and imbued with various emotions.