This print comes from the Kurodaya gallery in Tokyo, Japan. The painted masks were originally used in the fields of battle to make dreadful figures to frighten the enemy. Later on the masks were employed on stage to show the social standing and disposition of the characters. The colors on the masks conveyed different meanings, such as a red face to represent loyalty, black for bravery and multi-colored for wickedness. This righteous act was eulogized by his contemporaries and later generations.
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