Japanese Noh Theatre Puppet Head

A very rare antique carved wooden head of a distinguished gentleman puppet, dating from the late 19th or early 20th Century. This originates from the Japanese 'Noh' theatre tradition, which with 'Kyogen' is among the oldest continuous theatre traditions in the world. Noh was a spiritual drama, combining symbolism from Buddhism and Shintoism and focusing on tales with mythic significance, and was typically performed for the elite aristocratic class. The gent has a high collar, glass eyes and amazing quality carving. The head has a hole in the mouth which passes through the entire piece to the rear, suggesting that possibly a false cigarette would have been inserted, and smoke passed through the hole to simulate smoking. In excellent condition, with only minor signs of wear and use. The head is mounted on a stick, but it is unclear if this is original to the piece, or if it has been applied later to make it into a walking stick. Unfortunately it is not signed as far as we can tell.

Measures: 85cm high x 10cm wide x 16cm deep

UK DELIVERY OF THIS ITEM: Insured postal delivery of this item will be £30.