Description
These seven masks are part of a set of processional masks of the Twelve Heavenly Figures that were used in the Kanjo-e ritual at To-ji Temple, which included a procession of musicians dressed in costumes of the Twelve Heavenly Figures. Stylistic elements suggest that these were sculpted in the late 10th century. Some scholars suggest that they may have been made in honor of the retired Emperor Enyu in 989, when he underwent the Dempo Kanjo-e of the Two Worlds ritual, an ordination into the highest level of priesthood.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
July 20, 2026