African cultures created ceremonial masks and dancers of the Far East used masks in in stylized dancing, but probably the most well known mask of non-European cultures is that of the Japanese Noh Mask. Japanese Noh Masks Noh dramas are musical plays that originated as Shinto festival pantomime dances or as poetic songs of the Buddhist monks. These plays existed as early as the 1500's, and there are still some 200 or so in existence. There are at least 125 types of Noh masks, which represent men, women, ghosts, demons, heroes, gods and goddesses. Mask wearing actors stamp their feet and gesture on a bare stage.
Every movement has a specific meaning.
Noh plays last about an hour, and several are presented in a day. Mask blanks can be bought at a local craft store or at a gag and gift store around Halloween. For the class I taught, we used cloth Halloween mask blanks, fabric with small patterns, fabric glue, beads, feathers and other decorative items, paint, ribbon and dowel rods. Before starting, read all the directions completely. Cut mask to desired shape.