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Description: | This oval lidded box has been carved from an ivory tusk, stained to emphasise the detailed decoration. It is covered with comically distorted grotesque masks. Two larger masks have been carved on opposite sides of the box. The first of these depicts a bald man with a square face, grinning widely to show his teeth and tongue. The deep laughter lines and furrows around his cheeks and eyes add to the impression of merriment. In contrast, the second mask represents a stern-looking man with a down-turned mouth. The lid of the box is carved with two concentric circles of masks, topped with a laughing, bearded man. A final jolly face is found etched inside the lid.
The sides of this box are carved with a background of small masks, all representing male faces. On each of the two long sides of the box is a larger, more detailed mask, superimposed over the others. The first of these masks is a bald man with a square face, grinning widely to show his teeth and tongue. The laughter lines round his cheeks and eyes add to the impression of merriment, and deep furrows spread across his forehead and above his eyebrows. In contrast, the second large mask represents a stern-looking man, frowning and with a down-turned mouth. He has whiskers on either side of his face, extending towards his nose. He is wearing a helmet or headdress, intricately carved with criss-cross patterns. On top of his helmet is a flower, with petals extending outward. The lid of the box comprises a base layer of masks arranged in two concentric circles. In the centre of the lid is another layer of masks carved over the base layer, and the lid is surmounted by a mask representing a man with a pointed beard. His mouth is open in a huge grin, with his tongue sticking out. Hidden inside the box is the round face of a smiling man. The lines around his chin, cheeks and eyes emphasise his jolly expression. Above the man's head is an abstract pattern of triangles arranged to form star shapes.
An ivory kobako box carved as a profusion of faces in a caricature with grotesque masks. | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/ | Publisher: | Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Service | Rights holder: | Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Service | Subjects: | Decorative arts Japanese Decorative Art Carving Japan Masks | Source: | Black Country History | Identifier: | http://www.blackcountryhistory.org/colle... | Go to resource |
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