GYOSUI: A LACQUERED WOOD GIGAKU MASK OF KARURA (GARUDA) By Gyosui, signed Gyosui with seal Japan, early 20th century Finely carved and colored in gold, red, and black as a Karura showing a fierce expression with large bulging eyes, bold furrowed brows, the beak holding a gold pearl and showing a scowl. The interior with a paper label reading Kokuho mo, gigaku-men, Todai-ji, Karura-men, Gyosui saku (‘A mask of Karura, made by GYOSUI [the seal also reading Gyosui], copied from the original at Todai-ji Temple [in Nara]'). The artist was a pupil of Kano Tessai (1845-1925). The Karura is a divine hybrid human-bird creature based on the Garuda (the name is a transliteration) and one of the stock character masks worn by performers of the ancient Japanese courtly dance art of gigaku. HEIGHT 31.5 cm Condition: Very good condition with minor and mostly intentional wear, few natural age cracks. Provenance: British private collection. Literature comparison: Compare a similar mask, possibly the original, transmitted by the Todai-ji temple and currently in the collection of the Miho Museum, accession number H-39.1.