Noh mask of Shakumi

Shakumi is one of the female masks (Onna-men). Like Fukai, Shakumi is used in plays such as Miidera and Sakuragawa to represent the character of a mature, middle-aged woman of elegance and grace however the latter displays a stronger character. Shakumi is a grief-stricken mother emotionally traumatized.

The skin has been painted in an off-white color. The hair, painted eyebrows (in a high position on the forehead, which indicates an aristocrat) and eyes have had details applied in black ink. The down-turned lips have been finished in a red pigment that allows some of the undercoat of off-white to show through. The mouth is slightly open to reveal teeth that have been painted black. This is to emulate the tradition of teeth lacquering that the Japanese nobility have carried out since the Heian period (794-1185).