How many will I kill tonight? Three or four?" He looks like he is saying this, doesn't he? This 3-centimeter-tall sculpture is a netsuke of a Noh performer wearing a Hannya mask, currently on display at the Tokyo National Museum. It is carved from ivory.
The hannya mask, used in both Noh plays and Shinto dances, portrays the souls of women transformed into demons by obsession and jealousy. In one of the most famous Noh plays featuring the mask, Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi), Genji’s wife—Lady Aoi—is attacked and possessed by the wandering, jealous spirit of his mistress, Lady Rokujō.
Interestingly, however, 'hannya' (or 'prajñā' in Sanskrit) is a Buddhist term that simply means wisdom and bears no connection to jealousy. I searched for why the Noh mask shares its name with this Buddhist concept, but I couldn't find a satisfying explanation.
The Noh actor playing the mistress wears the Hannya mask to express her intense jealousy. So, the figure in these photos isn't a man, but rather the mistress on her way to kill her lover's wife😱.
If you love netsuke, read this post to see dozens of them!
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