A LACQUERED WOOD MASK NETSUKE OF KOJOUnsigned Japan, 19th centuryExpressively carved, the old man with an almost ghost-like appearance, with deeply incised wrinkles around his cheeks, elegantly arched brows, and tall forehead. The narrowed eyes are pierced, as is the open mouth with two buck teeth, above the prominent chin. The mask netsuke is skillfully lacquered and carved with simulated wear to depict an ancient mask.HEIGHT 4 cmCondition: Very good condition with minor and simulated wear, few small nicks to the back and around the himotoshi.The reverse with a vertically pierced himotoshi bar and a partly illegible inscription reading ‘ko[…]’.The Kojo mask is worn by the actor portraying the old man in the first part of Takasago and in other Noh plays. The mask, embodying dignity and divinity, foreshadows the old man's appearance in the second part as a god.Museum comparison: Compare a Noh mask of Kojo, dated to the Muromachi period, 16th century, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 86.85.1.