Bugaku Mask (Sanju)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bugaku Mask (Sanju) by an unknown artist. Wooden mask with a dark brown patina and reddish-brown undertones. The mask is roughly oval in shape and features a wide face with a flat top. The eyes are represented by two white oval holes on either side of the face, and the nose is a small, rounded protrusion in the center of the face. The mouth is a horizontal slit with a slight upward curve at the ends. The eyebrows are carved as two curved lines above the eyes, and the forehead has a small, raised dot. The background is a gradient gray color, transitioning from dark at the top to light at the bottom.