Children's Masks
These handmade and hand painted papier mache masks from rural Shimane Prefecture, Japan are meant for children and young teenagers. They are great for Fancy Dress Parties and Halloween presents and make ideal gifts for you, your family and friends.
Average size is approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms).
Ka-gu-ra is a type of traditional music and dance that while not as well known as Kabuki or Noh, is surprisingly easy to appreciate and at times approaches pantomime.
Kagura is written with characters which mean "music of the gods". Kagura, be it performed in the nation's most important shrines or in a small village, signifies a musical performance intended as an offering and an entertainment to the gods.
The stories told come mostly from the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, 712) and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan, 720), the earliest myths and legends of Japan. What is most noticeable about Iwami Kagura is the dazzling and vividly-colored costumes intricately sewn with gold thread, and the grotesque masks. An Iwami kagura performance is fast-paced, dynamic, and colorful. Children have their own kagura performances, beginning at 5 years of age. The masks are handmade and hand painted in a 10 stage process, using papier mache as the base. Kagura dance masks are fun gifts for young children, but are also nice enough to be mounted and hung as unique art decorations.
