13th Jun, 2025 10:00
Fine Japanese Art
87
A SUPERB IRON TENGU SOMEN
Sold for €9,100
including Buyer's Premium
Japan, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
The face plate forged in one piece and the nose and ears separately forged and riveted together, the surface finished in a russet patina and hammered up with prominent wrinkles and eyebrows held in a scowl, plum-blossom gromits to the side, beneath the chin are two otayori no kugi flanking the ase-nagashi, the interior of the mask red-lacquered; a four-lame yodarekake of kiritsuke kozane; gold-lacquered and laced in dark blue.
HEIGHT 29 cm (incl. yodarekake)
WEIGHT 735 g (incl. yodarekake)
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and expected corrosion. The yodarekake with losses, flaking, and rubbing to the lacquer.
The existence of somen (full masks) goes back to the Muromachi period but quickly declined in popularity as the full coverage of the face was found to be uncomfortable and impractical since it did not provide any functional advantage. They continued to be made as showpieces for high-ranking lords as opposed to practical armor accoutrements.
Masks embossed with human features are thought to have been made as early as the fifteenth century. However, during the Edo period armorers gave free rein to their imaginations – as they did when making representational helmets – and created masks in forms ranging from fierce gods to comical folk characters.
The tengu, a bird-like spirit, is often depicted with a reddish face and a crow-like beak. In Japanese folklore, the tengu is a protective yet mischievous spirit and a popular mask subject. There are two principal forms of tengu: the Karasu Tengu and the Ko no ha Tengu. They are typically represented as having human bodies, wings, and sometimes talons in place of hands and feet. The Karasu Tengu has a bird-like head complete with a strong, sharp beak. The Ko no ha Tengu has a human face, distorted by an enormously long nose.
Particularly pertinent in reference to this mask is the desire of the tengu to cause war, by possessing men and inciting them to fight or by appearing on the battlefield themselves. Tengu are considered to be masters in the use of all types of weapons, able to defeat all but a few of the mortals who dare to oppose them in a trial of arms. They are also closely associated with the yamabushi, mountain-dwelling monks known for their martial prowess, whose guise the tengu frequently assume.
Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related karura somen, late 18th century, 20.3 cm high, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Works of Art, 22 March 2011, New York, lot 3197 (sold for USD 14,640). Compare a related karura somen, late 18th century, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 20 March 2012, New York, lot 2253 (sold for USD 12,500).
Japan, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
The face plate forged in one piece and the nose and ears separately forged and riveted together, the surface finished in a russet patina and hammered up with prominent wrinkles and eyebrows held in a scowl, plum-blossom gromits to the side, beneath the chin are two otayori no kugi flanking the ase-nagashi, the interior of the mask red-lacquered; a four-lame yodarekake of kiritsuke kozane; gold-lacquered and laced in dark blue.
HEIGHT 29 cm (incl. yodarekake)
WEIGHT 735 g (incl. yodarekake)
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and expected corrosion. The yodarekake with losses, flaking, and rubbing to the lacquer.
The existence of somen (full masks) goes back to the Muromachi period but quickly declined in popularity as the full coverage of the face was found to be uncomfortable and impractical since it did not provide any functional advantage. They continued to be made as showpieces for high-ranking lords as opposed to practical armor accoutrements.
Masks embossed with human features are thought to have been made as early as the fifteenth century. However, during the Edo period armorers gave free rein to their imaginations – as they did when making representational helmets – and created masks in forms ranging from fierce gods to comical folk characters.
The tengu, a bird-like spirit, is often depicted with a reddish face and a crow-like beak. In Japanese folklore, the tengu is a protective yet mischievous spirit and a popular mask subject. There are two principal forms of tengu: the Karasu Tengu and the Ko no ha Tengu. They are typically represented as having human bodies, wings, and sometimes talons in place of hands and feet. The Karasu Tengu has a bird-like head complete with a strong, sharp beak. The Ko no ha Tengu has a human face, distorted by an enormously long nose.
Particularly pertinent in reference to this mask is the desire of the tengu to cause war, by possessing men and inciting them to fight or by appearing on the battlefield themselves. Tengu are considered to be masters in the use of all types of weapons, able to defeat all but a few of the mortals who dare to oppose them in a trial of arms. They are also closely associated with the yamabushi, mountain-dwelling monks known for their martial prowess, whose guise the tengu frequently assume.
Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related karura somen, late 18th century, 20.3 cm high, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Works of Art, 22 March 2011, New York, lot 3197 (sold for USD 14,640). Compare a related karura somen, late 18th century, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 20 March 2012, New York, lot 2253 (sold for USD 12,500).
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