Description

This is a wood carved mask from Japan known as an Okame or Otafuku mask. Otafuku represents a lovely, always smiling Japanese woman who brings happiness and good fortune to any man she marries. She is also known as the Goddess of Mirth and is a very popular image in Japanese culture. Otafuku literally means “Much Good Fortune”, and Okame means “Tortoise”, also a lucky symbol for long life. Though this mask is decorative, traditional Okame masks would be worn in Noh theater performances. The piece was mostly carved from one piece of wood and then lacquered.