, also known as
[, p.357-8, on ''gigaku men" (mask)] refers to an extinct genre of masked drama-dance performance, imported into Japan during the
Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after t ...
.
History
Records state that was introduced during the 20th year of reign of
Empress Suiko
(554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 推古天皇 (33)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Suiko reigned from 593 until her death in 628.
In the history of Japan ...
(612 AD)
by a certain [ volume=5, page=483-4, article on gigaku by :ja:吉川英史 (Kikkawa, Eishi, 1909~2006, traditional music related art historian)] from Kudara kingdom (Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...
), one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...
. According to accounts, Mimaji arrived in Sakurai and taught to the Japanese youth. It is said that he had studied in Wu (China), showing that the origins of can be traced back to China, as during the Suiko period The Suiko period is a chronological timeframe during the Asuka period of Japanese history.National Diet Library (NDL)"Calendar history/The Source" NengoCalc online conversion of Japanese dates into their Western equivalents based on tables from Pa ...
(593/604–658 AD), the Japanese court took heavy influence from Chinese and Korean culture. The regent at the time, Shotoku, played a decisive role in allowing and diffusing Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
culture within Japan; this spread of culture allowed to be performed and viewed by many Japanese individuals, as it promoted the religion. peaked during the first half of the 8th century, but began to disappear when took over as the official entertainment of the imperial palace, though was still performed and taught in areas far from the capital and continued to play a role in Japanese entertainment until up to the 14th century. Many wooden masks were painted at this time, most dating from the Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...
(710–84), and are now preserved at the Hōryūji and Tōdaiji temples and the imperial treasure house (Shōsōin
The is the treasure house of Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan. The building is in the ''azekura'' ( log-cabin) style with a raised floor. It lies to the northwest of the Great Buddha Hall. The Shōsō-in houses artifacts connected to Emperor Shō ...
), all in Nara. Masks were an integral aspect of theatre and represented various characteristics and properties and later influenced other parts of Japanese theatre.
The history of is often widely debated, as there is no documentation of in mainland Asia aside from a few extant masks. This lack of strong evidence often makes it difficult for researchers to decipher the true origins of , and its processes, characters, plots, and performances.
Performance
was performed in silent mime
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) is an Internet standard that extends the format of email messages to support text in character sets other than ASCII, as well as attachments of audio, video, images, and application programs. Message ...
,[ to the accompaniment of music.][ The flute, waist drum (or ,][ also known as ),][ and , a type of ]gong
A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
, were the three instruments used in the Nara period, though the gong was superseded by a type of cymbal () in the early Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
(9th century).[, p.207]
About the only surviving description of the performance comes from the musical treatise forming a part of the (; "Selections for Instructions and Admonition")[, p.37-] authored by (died 1242).[ According to this, the , or tuning of instruments, signals the start, followed by a prelude of instruments.][ Then there is a parading of the whole cast, both dancers and instrumentalists.][ It has been speculated that the character mask named probably took position at the front of the parade,][, p.914 on "Chido""] especially as this mask is listed first off in the assets ledgers () for some of the temples that house masks.[ The program opens with the Lion Dance (),][ and solo dances by the Duke of Wu,][ wrestler, the birdman , and the Brahman priest.
]
Archetypes
There are two wrestler archetype characters, the or "Vajra-yakṣa" who is open-mouthed,[, p562, on ''Kongō" and p.1559 on "Rikishi"] and the who is closed mouthed.[, p.85, p.101, etc.] These two are said to be analogous to the two Niō
are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism in the form of frightening wrestler-like statues. They are dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajra ...
or guardian gate statues, who respectively form the open and closed A-un
''Om'' (or ''Aum'') (; sa, ॐ, ओम्, Ōṃ, translit-std=IAST) is a sacred sound, syllable, mantra, or an invocation in Hinduism. ''Om'' is the prime symbol of Hinduism.Krishna Sivaraman (2008), ''Hindu Spirituality Vedas Through Ved ...
shapes in their mouths.[ Rikishi and Konron masks are often mixed up due to their similar features, they possess a darker complexion, bulging eyes, large mouths and jutting teeth. These masks can be differentiated through their facial expressions as the Konron is less aggressive than Rikishi.
With the exaggerated features of many of the masks, the content of the play is described as being farcical.][ Indeed, the two-part play of the (or Konron; Chinese:]Kunlun nu
Kunlun Nu (, "The Kunlun Slave" or "The Negrito Slave") is a wuxia romance written by Pei Xing (裴铏, 825–880) during the Tang dynasty. The hero of the tale is a Negrito slave who uses his extraordinary physical abilities to save his master's l ...
which denotes a black man or negrito
The term Negrito () refers to several diverse ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. Populations often described as Negrito include: the Andamanese peoples (including the Great Andamanese, the Onge, ...
) and the Rikishi (wrestler or "Strong Man") is outright obscene.[
In the ribald performance, the lascivious Kuron falls in lust for the Gojo (Wu woman or Chinese maiden), and expresses his desire by holding up his ]phallic
A phallus is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history a figure with an erect penis is described as ithyphallic.
Any object that symbolically—or, more precisely ...
prop called , and beating it with his hand fan
A handheld fan, or simply hand fan, is any broad, flat surface that is waved back-and-forth to create an airflow. Generally, purpose-made handheld fans are folding fans, which are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material (suc ...
.[ The comic dance maneuvers are referred to as . In subsequent development, the Kuron is subdued by the Rikishi who binds the Kuron by his equipment (''marakata''), and drags him along by the noose around his manhood.][
]
Masks
* "Govern the way" - Leads the procession part. This mask has been suggested as precursor of the depiction of Tengu
are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion (Shinto). They are considered a type of ''yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and a ...
masks[TNM (ex-Horyuji)quarter view]
It was a red headed mask with a wide mouth, long nose, wide bulging eyes, dark brows and sometimes contained few whiskers on the chin.
* "lion" - Lion mask with movable jaw, ear, eyes,[, p.633 on 'shishimen"] similar in appearance to the mask from Shishimai F
Lion dance () is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese Ne ...
lion dance. The mask contained tiny ears applied to a large circular face, a red tongue and snout, white teeth, brown, red, or green.
* "lion tamers" - Usually two tamers accompany each lion[, p.633 on 'shishiko-men" TNM (ex-Horyuji)]
(ex-Horyuji) an
another tamer, TNM (ex-Horyuji)
* "Duke of Wu"[ ]
TCM (ex-Horyuji)
* "Vajra-yakṣa)" - Topknotted wrestler, wide-eyed and flexed eyebrows, open-mouthed. Serves Lord of Wu.[ex-Horyuji, Cultural Heritage Online]
* "Garuḍa
Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is ...
"[ ]
TNM (ex-Horyuji)
* "Kunlun (black man)"
TNM
* "Wu woman" or "Chinese maiden"[ ]
TNM (8th century)
* "wrestler" or "Strong Man"[ - Topknotted wrestler like Kongo, but closed-mouthed.][ TNM (ex-Horyuji)]
* "Brāhmaṇa" priests
TNM (ex-Horyuji)
* "old widower"
TNM
* "old widower's child"
TNM
* "drunken Persian king" or "Drunken Hu barbarian"[ ]
TNM
* "drunken Persian's followers" - about 6~8 of them accompany the drunken Persian king
TNM
Influence
Many of these masks also influenced other Japanese theatre forms, Noh, for example particularly has masks very similar to the gigaku masks of goko and gojo. The well resemblance of gojo can be seen in the well known Noh
is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...
mask of Koomote as well as Chido and Konron to the ghost and demon masks with their stark, exaggerated, and frightening features.[Tian, Min. "Chinese Nuo and Japanese ]Noh
is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...
: Nuo's role in the origination and formation of Noh." Comparative Drama, vol. 37, no. 3-4, 2003, p. 343+. Literature Resource Center Though these masks share similarities it is important to note that there are also differences with them, for example the masks of Noh are much smaller in comparison to gigaku, this is also the case with bugaku (the emerging theatre form after gigaku).
See also
* Gagaku
is a type of Japanese classical music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances. was developed as court music of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and its near-current form was established in the Heian period (794-1185) around t ...
-
* Karura
The is a divine creature with human torso and birdlike head in Japanese mythology.
The name is a transliteration of garuda, a race of enormously gigantic birds in Hinduism. the Japanese Buddhist version is based upon Hindu Mythology. The same cr ...
* Kunlun Mountain (mythology)
The Kunlun () or Kunlun Shan is a mountain or mountain range in Chinese mythology, an important symbol representing the ''axis mundi'' and divinity.
The mythological Kunlun is based on various sources — mythologic and geographic — of the mode ...
*
*
* Theatre in Japan
This article is an overview of traditional and modern Japanese theatre. Traditional Japanese theatre is among the oldest theatre traditions in the world. Traditional theatre includes Noh, a spiritual drama, and its comic accompaniment ; kabuki, ...
* Menreiki
is a type of yōkai in Japanese folklore, composed of Gigaku masks. It is listed within the 1781 compendium of Japanese supernatural entities, entitled ''Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro''.
It is mentioned in folklore that during the time of Prince ...
References
*
* (world encyclopedia, in Japanese)
* , p. 85
* , p. 36ff, illustrated.
External links
Tokyo National Museum (TNM) image search
Cultural Heritage Online
{{Music of Japan
Japanese styles of music
Classical and art music traditions
Japanese traditional music
Masked dances
Masquerade ceremonies in Asia
Japanese words and phrases